Mattermost vs Microsoft Teams

Self-host swap-in for Microsoft Teams. · Self-host Microsoft Teams · Mattermost on os-alt

Mattermost is one of the open-source self-host replacements for Microsoft Teams — license AGPL-3.0, 20min docker-compose (Go server + Postgres) to stand up, and $10/mo vps for a 50-user team; postgres is the heaviest piece. Compare against Microsoft Teams's Teams Essentials $4/user/mo; bundled in M365 Business Basic at $6/user/mo below.

	Mattermostopen-source	Microsoft Teamspaid SaaS
Category	Team chat + video meetings	Team chat + video meetings
License / pricing	`AGPL-3.0`	Teams Essentials $4/user/mo; bundled in M365 Business Basic at $6/user/mo
Starting price	$0 self-host	$4/user/mo
GitHub	mattermost/mattermost ★ 36.7k · last commit todayalive	closed source
Setup time	20min docker-compose (Go server + Postgres)	SaaS — sign up + bill
Monthly cost	$10/mo VPS for a 50-user team; Postgres is the heaviest piece.	from $4/user/mo (Teams Essentials $4/user/mo; bundled in M365 Business Basic at $6/user/mo)

Switching from Microsoft Teams to Mattermost

Use the official compose at docs.mattermost.com. Mattermost ships a Microsoft Teams importer (`mattermost import process`) that reads a Teams export JSON; in Teams admin: Compliance → eDiscovery → export channel content. Map M365 groups to Mattermost teams during the run. For voice/video, install the bundled Mattermost Calls plugin (WebRTC, no extra service required for small teams).

Good fit for: Engineering-heavy orgs that want Teams-shaped channel+thread chat with deeper integration hooks (Slack-compatible webhooks, slash commands, devops bots).
Weak at: Files / co-edit story is bring-your-own — pair with Nextcloud + Collabora to recover the docx co-edit half of Teams.
License note: Team Edition core is AGPL-3.0; Enterprise adds SSO controls, compliance exports, and data retention under a commercial license.

Other open-source self-host alternatives to Microsoft Teams

Rocket.Chat
MIT20min docker-compose (Node + MongoDB)$10/mo VPS; MongoDB needs RAM and growing index space.
Element + Synapse (Matrix)
AGPL-3.01h docker-compose (Synapse + Postgres + Element web client + TURN server for calls)$15-30/mo VPS; TURN bandwidth dominates if calls are heavy.

Mattermost also replaces

Discord— Community / voice chat
Slack— Team chat

In a terminal? npx os-alt microsoft-teams prints Microsoft Teams's self-host options — how the CLI works →

FAQ

Is Mattermost a free alternative to Microsoft Teams?

Yes — Mattermost is open source under AGPL-3.0. Self-host cost: $10/mo VPS for a 50-user team; Postgres is the heaviest piece.. Microsoft Teams starts at $4/user/mo (Teams Essentials $4/user/mo; bundled in M365 Business Basic at $6/user/mo).

How long does Mattermost take to set up vs Microsoft Teams?

Self-hosting Mattermost: 20min docker-compose (Go server + Postgres). Microsoft Teams is a hosted SaaS — sign up and you're in.

What is Mattermost good at, and what is it weak at?

Good fit for: Engineering-heavy orgs that want Teams-shaped channel+thread chat with deeper integration hooks (Slack-compatible webhooks, slash commands, devops bots).. Weak at: Files / co-edit story is bring-your-own — pair with Nextcloud + Collabora to recover the docx co-edit half of Teams..