Rocket.Chat review

Rocket.Chat targets organizations that need chat they can host and govern themselves. Its paid Commercial plan supports on-premises, private cloud, isolated VPC or air-gapped deployment, plus Rocket.Chat-managed dedicated hosting, with messaging, voice, video meetings and screen sharing in one app. The standout feature is federation: your teams can share channels with partners and vendors while each organization keeps its own infrastructure, data and identity. The vendor positions the platform for HIPAA, FINRA, MiFID II, NIS2, DORA and GDPR requirements. Two free options exist: Starter, a self-hosted workspace for up to 50 users with many premium capabilities including LDAP, SAML and custom OAuth, and Community, which covers core messaging for up to 100 concurrent users. Paid pricing is quote-based, so it is pending here. As with any self-hosted tool, you need staff to deploy and maintain it, and the interface is less refined than the leading hosted apps.

Who it is for

Regulated organizations that want self-hosted chat and secure federation with outside partners.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Messaging, voice, video meetings and screen sharing
• Federation for shared channels with external organizations
• On-premises, private cloud or air-gapped deployment
• LDAP, SAML and custom OAuth on the free Starter plan
• Open API for custom integrations

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free Starter plan for up to 50 users with many premium capabilities
• Strength: Federation keeps each organization in control of its own data
• Strength: Compliance support for HIPAA, FINRA, NIS2 and GDPR needs
• Weakness: Commercial pricing requires contacting sales
• Weakness: Starter and Community are self-hosted, so you run the servers
• Weakness: Free Community edition offers core messaging only

Key facts

• Free plans: Starter up to 50 users; Community up to 100 concurrent users
• Paid plans: Commercial, Government, Defense
• Deployment: Self-managed, dedicated cloud or air-gapped

Where it ranks

Rocket.Chat is No. 10 in our Best Team Chat Apps verdict.