Replace / Google Chat
Best free Google Chat alternatives (open source, self-hosted) 2026
The best open-source alternative to Google Chat is Rocket.Chat, self-hosted on Railway. Self-host team chat, huddles, and apps without Slack's per-seat meter.
Estimated save $2,100 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How Google Chat compares
| Google Chat | Rocket.Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Rocket.Chat
Open-source team chat, voice, and apps
FAQ
- What is the best free open-source Google Chat alternative?
- The best open-source alternative to Google Chat is Rocket.Chat, self-hosted on Railway. Self-host team chat, huddles, and apps without Slack's per-seat meter.
- Is it free?
- The Rocket.Chat licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no Google Chat seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from Google Chat?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Rocket.Chat stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old Google Chat links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Rocket.Chat stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: Rocket.Chat + MongoDB (or the project's bundled DB) as a Railway service with a volume. Point WEBHOOK/ROOT_URL at the public domain.
- What does this replace?
- Slack / Google Chat. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $2,100 a year.
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