8 Best European Alternatives to Slack (2026), Compared

The best European alternative to Slack is Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland): kChat gives you public and private channels, direct messages, guest access, webhooks and video calls, hosted in Infomaniak’s own Swiss data centres, from CHF 1.76 per user a month. If your team also plans its work in Slack, pick Stackfield (Germany) – chat, tasks and end-to-end encryption in one workspace.

I wrote this ranking for teams that like how Slack works – channels, threads, quick DMs, integrations – but no longer want their internal conversations with a US company. Slack is run by Slack Technologies, which Salesforce bought for $27.7 billion in July 2021, so your messages sit with a subsidiary of a US software giant. On Slack’s own pricing page, data residency is a Business+ feature at $15 per user a month, and the free plan shows only 90 days of message history. I compared twelve team chat tools that come up as Slack alternatives and kept the eight that are made by European companies.

What are the best European alternatives to Slack?

If you only have a minute: these are the European team chat tools I would switch to from Slack, in order. Each one is reviewed in detail below.

1. Infomaniak kSuite (Switzerland) – Slack-style channels plus video, drive, mail and office from CHF 1.76. Best for most teams leaving Slack.
2. Stackfield (Germany) – chat, tasks and documents in encrypted rooms. Best for project teams.
3. Element (United Kingdom) – open-source Matrix chat you can host yourself. Best for large organisations that want full control.
4. Twake Workplace (France) – open-source chat, drive and mail with a free plan. Best for small teams on a budget.
5. Nextcloud Talk (Germany) – chat and calls inside your own Nextcloud. Best for self-hosting.
6. Wire (Germany) – end-to-end encrypted messaging and calls. Best for sensitive conversations.
7. Threema Work (Switzerland) – an encrypted business messenger from 3.00 per user. Best for mobile teams.
8. Teamwire (Germany) – a German-hosted messenger built for authorities and healthcare. Best for frontline teams.

Slack alternatives compared

Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.

“Data hosted in” shows where each tool stores your messages, based on the vendor’s own hosting statements and a DNS and ASN lookup of its main domain (25 Oct 2026). For self-hosted tools it is wherever you run them.

How I compared the Slack alternatives

I looked at twelve team chat tools and kept the eight made by companies in Europe. The order is driven by how much of Slack you keep after switching, then by privacy and data sovereignty, then by price. Concretely, I weighed five things:

• Feature match with Slack – channels, threads, direct messages, guests from other companies, integrations and calls.
• Jurisdiction and ownership – where the company is registered, who owns it and where it hosts your messages, including any dependence on US clouds.
• Security – end-to-end encryption, open-source code, self-hosting and certifications such as ISO 27001 or BSI C5.
• Price – the cheapest paid plan per user, whether there is a free plan, and minimum team sizes.
• What users say – ratings on Trustpilot (or Capterra where Trustpilot has nothing), read together with the number of reviews.

I left out Rocket.Chat, Mattermost and Zulip (US companies), Pumble (CAKE.com AG in Zug acts as agent for CAKE.com Inc. in Palo Alto, under Californian law), Brosix (a Delaware company) and Spike (SpikeNow Ltd., Tel Aviv). ginlo Business from Munich publishes no standard prices, and Olvid from France is an encrypted messenger without Slack-style channels. All data comes from the vendors’ own pricing, about, security and legal pages and from Trustpilot and Capterra, checked on 25 October 2026.

The best European alternatives to Slack, reviewed

Every European team chat tool below gets the same treatment: who is behind it, what users say, what it replaces from Slack and what it does not, its pros and cons, and my opinion on who should switch to it.

1. Infomaniak kSuite

The closest European match for Slack – channels, guests and webhooks, plus video, drive and mail, all in Switzerland

kSuite is made by Infomaniak Network SA in Geneva, Switzerland, a hosting company founded in 1994. Its main shareholder is the Infomaniak Foundation. Infomaniak runs its own data centres in Switzerland, kChat is hosted in Geneva, and its website runs on Infomaniak’s own network (AS29222). The team chat part of kSuite is called kChat; it is not sold on its own, but included in every kSuite plan.

What users say. Infomaniak has 3.9/5 from 2,068 reviews on Trustpilot, but that profile covers all Infomaniak products – hosting, mail, drive – not only kChat. Slack itself scores 2.0/5 from 360 reviews, with complaints about support, log-in problems and billing.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. kChat works the way Slack does: public channels anyone in your organisation can join, private channels by invitation, direct messages, and guest access for customers and partners that is limited to the channel you share with them. You can connect other business apps with webhooks, send files up to 100 MB, start video calls from a channel, and use an AI assistant that summarises long threads and translates messages – Infomaniak says that content stays in Switzerland. Infomaniak also says it can import your Slack history on request. On top of chat you get kMeet for video meetings, kDrive storage, mail, calendar and an office suite. What you lose: there is no end-to-end encryption, no self-hosting and no open-source server, and Slack’s huge app directory is replaced by webhooks.

Facts: HQ Switzerland (Geneva) · founded 1994 · kSuite Pro Standard CHF 1.76 per user/month, Business CHF 7.34 (CHF 3.67 in year one with an annual commitment), Enterprise CHF 13.83, all excl. VAT · free plan: yes (15 GB, 1 address) · ISO 27001 since 2018 · encrypted in transit and at rest · apps for web, desktop, iPhone and Android.

Switching from Slack: easy – channels, DMs and guests work the same way, and Infomaniak offers to import your Slack history on request.

My take: kSuite is the easiest move away from Slack, because kChat works like Slack and the rest of the suite replaces the tools around it. It is Swiss, it runs in its own data centres and it costs a fraction of Slack Pro. It loses points only on encryption and integrations, and neither stopped me from putting it first. Best for: small and mid-sized teams that want Slack and Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 replaced in one go. Not for: teams that need end-to-end encryption or self-hosting.

Visit infomaniak.com →

2. Stackfield

Slack and a project tool in one – encrypted rooms with chat, tasks and documents, hosted in Germany

Stackfield is made by Stackfield GmbH in Munich, Germany, and has been around since 2012. It hosts your data in German data centres and says it uses no AWS, Google or Azure; its website and app run on the network of the German provider SOPRADO (AS20546).

What users say. On Trustpilot Stackfield has 3.3/5, but from only 1 review, so there is not enough data to judge.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Stackfield is organised in rooms instead of channels. Each room has a chat, but also tasks, a calendar, pages and files, so it replaces Slack and a tool like Asana or Trello at the same time. Rooms can be end-to-end encrypted with AES-256 and RSA-2048, which Slack does not offer at all. What you lose: there is no free plan, video conferences are only on the Premium and Enterprise plans, the Starter plan is limited to 10 users, and the app ecosystem is far smaller than Slack’s.

Facts: HQ Germany (Munich) · since 2012 · Starter €9, Business €14, Premium €18, Enterprise €28 per user/month, excl. VAT · 17% off with yearly billing · free plan: no, 14-day trial · ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 and BSI C5 attestation · apps for web, iPhone and Android.

Switching from Slack: moderate – your team has to get used to rooms with tasks instead of plain channels.

My take: Stackfield is my pick if Slack is where your team plans work, not only where it talks. You get chat, tasks and documents in one encrypted workspace hosted in Germany. It sits second because it costs more than Slack Pro and feels less like Slack than kChat does. Best for: project teams and agencies that use Slack next to a task tool. Not for: teams that only want a cheap chat.

Visit stackfield.com →

3. Element

Open-source chat on the Matrix standard – host it yourself, encrypt everything, federate with other organisations

Element is made by Element Creations Ltd in London, United Kingdom – outside the EU. It started in 2017 as New Vector Ltd and was renamed Element in 2020; it also has subsidiaries in Rennes (France), Düsseldorf (Germany) and Delaware (USA), and is backed by venture capital (Series A in 2019, Series B in 2021). Element is built on Matrix, an open standard for chat, so you choose where it runs: on your own servers or in Element’s managed cloud. Its public web app runs behind Cloudflare.

What users say. On Trustpilot Element has 2.7/5 from just 10 reviews, too few to say much.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Element gives you rooms (channels), threads, direct messages and end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls with Element Call. Because Matrix is federated, you can talk to other organisations on their own Matrix servers – a bit like Slack Connect, but without one company in the middle. Apps exist for the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android. What you lose: Element publishes no prices, the free Community edition is listed for up to 100 users and positioned for non-professional use, Enterprise starts at 100 users, and someone on your side needs to run or manage the server. Slack’s polish and app directory are not there.

Facts: HQ United Kingdom (London) · founded 2017 · Community: free, open source (AGPL), 1–100 users · Enterprise: priced per seat, from 100 users, price on request · Sovereign: priced per deployment · ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus · self-hosted or managed cloud.

Switching from Slack: hard – you have to plan a server or a managed deployment before anyone can chat.

My take: Element is the most powerful option here if control matters more than convenience: open source, end-to-end encrypted and yours to host. It is third because it is a UK company, it hides its prices and it needs real IT effort to set up. Best for: large organisations and public bodies that want to own their chat. Not for: small teams that want to sign up and start chatting today.

Visit element.io →

4. Twake Workplace

A French open-source workplace with Matrix chat, drive and mail – and a free plan to start

Twake Workplace is developed by LINAGORA SAS, a French open-source company founded in 2000 and registered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. LINAGORA has about 200 people and offices in Paris, Toulouse, Tunis and Vietnam. Twake says all data is stored in France; its website runs on OVHcloud in France (AS16276), and Twake Chat’s hosted service runs on OVHcloud too.

What users say. On Trustpilot Twake has 3.4/5 from a single review – about the mail service, not the chat – so there is no meaningful rating yet.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Twake Chat is built on Matrix, like Element, with private and public group chats, public channels, spaces, moderation tools, file and voice messages, and end-to-end encryption. It works with other Matrix apps such as Element and has bridges to Telegram, Discord and Signal. Twake Drive, Mail, a calendar and video meetings come with the same Twake ID. The chat client is open source under the AGPL and can be self-hosted with Docker. What you lose: there are no Slack-style integrations or bots advertised, the plans page does not say whether prices are per user, and with almost no reviews it is the least proven tool in this ranking.

Facts: HQ France (Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris) · LINAGORA founded 2000 · Discover: free (5 GB drive, 1 GB mail) · Standard €4/month (50 GB drive, 15 GB mail, office editor) · Premium €12/month (1,000 GB drive) · billed monthly, cancel any time · open source (chat client AGPL) · apps for web, iPhone, Android and desktop.

Switching from Slack: moderate – signing up is quick, but there is no Slack import and fewer integrations.

My take: Twake is the best free starting point in this list: French, open source, end-to-end encrypted, and the free plan includes chat, drive and mail. It sits fourth because it is young as a product and has no user ratings yet, so I would run a pilot before moving a whole company. Best for: small teams and associations that want a free, open-source Slack replacement in France. Not for: companies that rely on Slack integrations and bots.

Visit twake.app →

5. Nextcloud Talk

Chat and video calls inside your own Nextcloud – open source, self-hosted, next to your files

Nextcloud Talk is made by Nextcloud GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany, with Frank Karlitschek as managing director. Talk is part of Nextcloud Hub, which also includes files, calendar, mail and office. You decide where it runs: on your own server or with a hosting partner. Nextcloud’s own website runs on Hetzner in Helsinki (AS24940).

What users say. On Trustpilot Nextcloud has 2.7/5 from 51 reviews, for the whole company rather than Talk alone.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Talk gives you group and one-to-one chats, audio and video calls, webinars with a lobby, and phone dial-in with the High Performance Backend. The big advantage over Slack is that chat sits next to your files and calendar on a server you control, and calls are end-to-end encrypted on web and desktop. The software is open source under the AGPL and can be downloaded for self-hosting. What you lose: the official Talk subscription starts at 100 users, the managed Nextcloud One for smaller teams has no public price, and Talk is less polished than Slack for threads, integrations and search.

Facts: HQ Germany (Stuttgart) · Talk subscription €42 per user/year net, from 100 users (€31.50 from 250 users) · Nextcloud One for under 100 users, hosted in Germany, price not shown · open source (AGPL), self-hostable · apps for web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android.

Switching from Slack: hard – you need a Nextcloud server or a hosting partner first.

My take: If you already use Nextcloud for files, adding Talk is the most sovereign way to replace Slack: same server, same accounts, open source. As a standalone Slack replacement it needs too much setup for most teams, which is why it is fifth. Best for: organisations that already run Nextcloud or want everything on their own servers. Not for: small teams without an IT person.

Visit nextcloud.com →

6. Wire

End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for teams – open source, from €7.45 per user

Wire is run by Wire Group Holdings GmbH, incorporated in Berlin, with its imprint at Wire Swiss GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. It was founded in 2012 and has offices in Berlin, Zug, Paris and Southfield (USA). Wire says more than 90% of its investors are European, including Janus Friis, Cipio Partners, the Schwarz Gruppe and UnternehmerTUM VC. Its servers are in Germany and Ireland, but the web app runs on Amazon Web Services in Frankfurt (AS16509) – a US cloud.

What users say. On Trustpilot Wire has 2.9/5 from only 10 reviews.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Wire covers group conversations, direct messages, file and screen sharing and video conferences with up to 150 people on the business plan. Everything is end-to-end encrypted, always on, using the Proteus and MLS protocols, and the code is 100% open source. You can use Wire’s cloud, run it on premises or mix both. What you lose: Wire is a secure messenger more than a Slack-style workspace, so there is no public channel directory or large app ecosystem, there is no Linux app listed, and the free plan is limited to 5 users with calls between 2 people.

Facts: HQ Germany (Berlin), imprint Switzerland (Zug) · founded 2012 · free for up to 5 users · business plan €7.45 per user/month yearly or €8.94 monthly, up to 100 users · Enterprise on request · ISO 27001, ISO 27701 · servers in Germany and Ireland, web app on AWS · apps for web, Windows, macOS, iPhone and Android.

Switching from Slack: moderate – easy to sign up, but you rebuild your channels as group conversations.

My take: Wire is the most secure way to replace the talking part of Slack: end-to-end encrypted, open source and largely European-owned. It is sixth because it feels like a messenger rather than a workspace and because its web app runs on AWS. Best for: teams that discuss confidential matters and want encryption by default. Not for: teams that want Slack's channels and integrations.

Visit wire.com →

7. Threema Work

The Swiss encrypted messenger for companies – cheap, mobile-first and anonymous

Threema Work is made by Threema AG in Pfäffikon SZ, Switzerland. Since early 2026 Threema is owned by the investment company Comitis Capital GmbH; before that it belonged to Afinum. Threema runs its own servers in a data centre in Zurich, and its website is on the network of the Swiss provider Nine Internet Solutions (AS29691).

What users say. On Trustpilot Threema has 3.1/5 from 56 reviews, for the whole company including the consumer app.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Threema Work gives your team chats, group chats, polls, file sharing and end-to-end encrypted group calls with up to 32 people. The apps are open source. It shines on phones: the iPhone and Android apps are the core, with desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux and a web version that needs your phone app linked. What you lose: there are no Slack-style channels or threads, no integrations directory, and the OnPrem version needs 200+ users and a 3-year term.

Facts: HQ Switzerland (Pfäffikon SZ) · Core 3.00 and Professional 5.00 per user/month, billed yearly (currency not shown on the pricing page) · OnPrem on request · free plan: no, 30-day trial for up to 30 users · end-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge design · own servers in Zurich.

Switching from Slack: moderate – easy to roll out, but channels become group chats.

My take: Threema Work is the cheapest secure option here and a great replacement if your team uses Slack mostly from phones. It is a messenger, not a workspace, so for channel-heavy office teams it is only seventh. Best for: field and mobile teams that mainly chat on their phones. Not for: office teams that live in Slack channels all day.

Visit threema.com →

8. Teamwire

A German-hosted business messenger built for authorities, hospitals and frontline teams

Teamwire is made by Teamwire GmbH in Munich, Germany (HRB 187102), with Tobias Stepan as CEO. It was founded in 2014 and says it has sold more than 100,000 licences and holds over 50% of the German public safety market; the Bavarian police is one of its customers. Teamwire says your data is stored only on servers in Germany, with BSI C5-certified hosting; its website runs on Hetzner in Nuremberg (AS24940).

What users say. I found no Trustpilot profile for Teamwire. On Capterra it has 5.0/5 from 5 reviews, several of them from 2016 – too few to rely on.

What it replaces from Slack – and what it doesn’t. Teamwire gives you individual, group and broadcast chats (broadcasts reach up to 2,500 people), file sharing, polls, a company directory and voice and video calls with up to 30 people. Admins get LDAP integration, an API, audit logs and audit-proof archiving, and you can choose the German cloud, a private cloud or on-premises. What you lose: there are no Slack-style channels, threads or integrations directory; calls are a paid add-on on the smaller plans; plans start at 25 users; and Teamwire says messages are fully encrypted but does not call it end-to-end encryption.

Facts: HQ Germany (Munich) · founded 2014 · Small Business €79/month for 25 users, Standard €3.45 per user/month for 25–500 users, both billed yearly · VoIP and video add-on €0.75 per user/month · Professional on request · free plan: no, 15-day trial · ISO 27001 (TÜV Rheinland) · apps for iPhone, Android, desktop and web.

Switching from Slack: moderate – roll-out is simple, but it works like a messenger, not like Slack.

My take: Teamwire is a strong choice for organisations that need a German messenger with archiving and admin control, and its track record in public safety shows it. For a typical office team moving from Slack it is the furthest from what they know, so it closes the list. Best for: public authorities, hospitals and frontline teams that need a compliant messenger. Not for: tech teams that want Slack's channels and bots.

Visit teamwire.eu →

What European team chat costs compared with Slack

Slack Pro costs $7.25 per user a month on a yearly plan and $8.75 monthly; Business+, the first plan with data residency, costs $15. Most European alternatives cost less per user.

Prices as shown on each vendor’s pricing page on 25 October 2026, in the currency shown there. Slack’s monthly plans have a 50% intro discount for 3 months for new teams; the table shows regular prices.

How to switch from Slack to a European team chat

1. Export your Slack data. Slack’s free and Pro plans let workspace owners export messages from public channels; full exports of private channels and DMs are a Business+ feature.
2. Map your channels. List the channels you really use and recreate them in the new tool. In kChat they become channels, in Stackfield rooms, in Element and Twake Matrix rooms.
3. Move your integrations. Check which Slack apps you depend on and replace them with webhooks or the new tool’s integrations.
4. Run both tools for a short overlap. Pick a switch date, invite everyone, and set Slack to read-only for a couple of weeks so nothing gets lost.
5. Invite your guests. Partners and customers you talked to in Slack Connect need an invite to your new shared channels.

Slack alternatives: FAQ

My verdict: which European team chat to switch to

Most teams leaving Slack should go to Infomaniak kSuite: kChat works like Slack, the suite replaces drive, mail and office too, and it runs in Infomaniak’s own Swiss data centres for a fraction of Slack’s price. If your team plans its work in Slack, Stackfield gives you chat and tasks in encrypted rooms hosted in Germany. If you want open source and full control, choose Element for large deployments or Twake Workplace for a free start.

Whatever you pick, export your Slack data before you cancel, recreate only the channels you really use, and give the team a short overlap – that makes the switch painless.