The best European team chat app overall is Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland): kChat gives you Slack-style channels, guests and webhooks, with video, drive and mail in the same Swiss suite from CHF 1.76 per user a month. For chat and tasks in encrypted rooms, choose Stackfield (Germany); for a free open-source start, Twake Workplace (France).
This is the overview of every European team chat app I would recommend, with one line on who each one is for. Some work like Slack with channels and integrations; others are secure business messengers built for phones. If you are leaving a specific service, the deeper comparisons are in Best European alternatives to Slack and Best European alternatives to Microsoft Teams. All prices and facts were checked on the vendors’ own pages on 25 October 2026.
European team chat apps compared
| Tool | HQ | Data hosted in | From | Free plan | Open source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Infomaniak kSuite | Switzerland · EFTA | Switzerland · own data centres | CHF 1.76 / user / month (excl. VAT) | Yes | Partly (not stated which parts) | Replacing Teams and Microsoft 365 |
| 2. Stackfield | Germany · EU | Germany · European subcontractors | €9 / user / month (net) | Trial only | No | Encrypted project team workspace |
| 3. Element | United Kingdom | Self-hosted or managed cloud | Free (personal) · business on request | Yes | Yes (Community edition AGPL) | Matrix chat and self-hosting |
| 4. Twake Workplace | France · EU | France · OVHcloud | €4 / month | Yes | Yes (chat client AGPL-3.0) | Free open-source team workspace |
| 5. Nextcloud Talk | Germany · EU | Your choice · self-hosted or partner | €42 / user / year (net, from 100 users) | No | Yes (AGPL) | Self-hosted chat and calls |
| 6. Wire | Germany · EU | Germany and Ireland · AWS ⚠ US cloud | Free (personal) · €7.45 / user / month (yearly) | Yes | Yes | Encrypted chat for work and home |
| 7. Threema Work | Switzerland · EFTA | Switzerland · Zurich | 3.00 / user / month (yearly, currency not shown) | Trial only | Yes (apps) | Mobile-first encrypted messaging |
| 8. Teamwire | Germany · EU | Germany · German cloud or on-premises | €3.45 / user / month (yearly, from 25 users) | Trial only | No | Authorities and frontline teams |
Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.
How I chose the best European team chat apps
I compared twelve team chat tools and kept the eight made by companies in the EU, Switzerland and the UK. Each one was checked on the same five points: how much of Slack it replaces (channels, threads, guests, integrations, calls), jurisdiction, ownership and hosting (including any US cloud), security (end-to-end encryption, open source, self-hosting, certifications), price per user and user ratings. Rocket.Chat, Mattermost, Zulip, Pumble and Brosix are not listed because the companies behind them are American.
The best European team chat apps
1. Infomaniak kSuite – best overall
Swiss and foundation-owned, with public and private channels, guest access, webhooks and AI in kChat, plus video, drive, mail and office, all in Infomaniak’s own data centres. Not end-to-end encrypted, from CHF 1.76 per user a month. Infomaniak kSuite review →
2. Stackfield – best for project teams
Munich-based, with end-to-end encrypted rooms that combine chat, tasks, calendar and documents, BSI C5 attestation and no US cloud. No free plan; from €9 per user a month. Full review →
3. Element – best for large organisations
A UK company behind open-source chat on the Matrix standard, with end-to-end encrypted calls, self-hosted or managed. Enterprise starts at 100 users and has no public price. Full review →
4. Twake Workplace – best free open-source option
French, from LINAGORA, with Matrix-based chat, drive and mail hosted in France. Free plan with 5 GB of storage; Standard costs €4 a month. Twake Workplace review →
5. Nextcloud Talk – best for self-hosting
German and open source, with chat, calls and webinars next to your Nextcloud files on a server you control. The Talk subscription starts at 100 users. Full review →
6. Wire – best for sensitive conversations
Berlin-incorporated, always-on end-to-end encryption and open-source code, free for up to 5 users and €7.45 per user a month after that. Its web app runs on AWS. Full review →
7. Threema Work – best for mobile teams
Swiss, end-to-end encrypted with a zero-knowledge design and own servers in Zurich, from 3.00 per user a month. A messenger rather than a channel-based workspace. Full review →
8. Teamwire – best for authorities and healthcare
Munich-based, hosted only in Germany with BSI C5 certification, LDAP and audit-proof archiving, from €3.45 per user a month for 25 users or more. Full review →
European team chat apps: FAQ
Which team chat apps are based in the EU?
Stackfield, Nextcloud Talk, Wire and Teamwire (Germany) and Twake Workplace (France). Infomaniak kSuite and Threema Work are Swiss, outside the EU but under Swiss data protection law, and Element is a UK company.
Which European team chat app is free?
Infomaniak kSuite and Twake Workplace have free plans, Wire is free for up to 5 users, and Element and Nextcloud can be self-hosted without a licence fee.
Which European team chat app is the most secure?
Wire, Threema Work, Element and Stackfield all use end-to-end encryption. Element and Nextcloud Talk can also run entirely on your own servers.
My verdict
Pick Infomaniak kSuite if you want Slack-style chat plus a full suite in Switzerland, Stackfield if your team needs chat and tasks in encrypted rooms, and Twake Workplace if you want to start free with open-source software hosted in France.
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Changelog · Oct 2026: first version, 8 tools