Mattermost vs Rocket.Chat: Enterprise vs MIT-Licensed Chat

Mattermost vs Rocket.Chat comparison. Enterprise-focused Slack alternative vs MIT-licensed full-featured chat. Compliance, omnichannel, pricing, and which to self-host.

Mattermost excels at enterprise compliance with HIPAA and FedRAMP certifications. Rocket.Chat offers more features at a lower price with MIT licensing and omnichannel support. Both are excellent Slack alternatives.

Features Compared

FeatureMattermostRocket.Chat
Slack ImportBuilt-inVia migration tool
Video CallsBuilt-inBuilt-in
Omnichannel Support✗✓
LicenseAGPL+BSLMIT
ComplianceHIPAA/FedRAMPLimited
RBAC✓✓
LDAP/SSO✓✓
Mobile Apps✓✓
Docker Deployment✓✓
Pricing$10/user/mo$4/user/mo

Mattermost Pros

  • Enterprise compliance with HIPAA and FedRAMP certifications
  • Familiar Slack-like interface for easy adoption
  • Built-in Slack import tool
  • Playbook automation for incident response
  • Strong RBAC and enterprise governance features

Mattermost Cons

  • Enterprise features require paid license at $10/user/mo
  • No omnichannel or live chat capabilities
  • AGPL+BSL license is more restrictive
  • Fewer built-in integrations than Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat Pros

  • MIT license — most permissive open source license
  • Omnichannel support for customer-facing chat
  • Lower enterprise pricing at $4/user/mo
  • Marketplace with community apps and bots
  • Connects to WhatsApp, SMS, email, and social media

Rocket.Chat Cons

  • No HIPAA or FedRAMP compliance certifications
  • MongoDB can be resource-intensive
  • Omnichannel features add setup complexity
  • Less mature enterprise governance features

Winner: tie — Mattermost wins for regulated industries needing HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance. Rocket.Chat wins for teams wanting the most features at the lowest price with MIT licensing. Both are excellent Slack alternatives.

FAQ

  • Which is more Slack-compatible?

    Both replicate the Slack experience well. Mattermost has built-in Slack import. Rocket.Chat supports Slack-compatible webhooks and integrations.

  • Which is better for healthcare?

    Mattermost. It has HIPAA compliance and can be configured for FedRAMP. Rocket.Chat does not have these certifications.

  • Which is cheaper for a small team?

    Rocket.Chat. Its enterprise plan is $4/user/mo vs Mattermost's $10/user/mo. Both free self-hosted versions are feature-rich enough for small teams.