Those who use self-hosted chat platforms, why not Slack?

Question

We&rsquo;re currently using Mattermost as our self-hosted chat, but outside of cost savings, there doesn&rsquo;t appear to be a good reason why we don&rsquo;t switch to a SaaS like Slack which has more features, integrations, better app, etc. What are your reasons to use Mattermost/RocketChat/other tools instead of Slack?

fsflover · Accepted Answer

Because only free software respects its users: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.

mindcrime · Answer

I don't believe in using proprietary software simply as a matter of principle. There are a handful of places in my life where I do out of necessity, but I try to avoid it as much as possible.

qualudeheart · Answer

I use slack and have never used those alternatives you&rsquo;re talking about but there is a case to be made that self hosted tech offers better privacy.

twunde · Answer

If you are in a regulated environment, it's likely because of either compliance or security concerns (I'll note that while Slack has HIPAA-compliant plastered over its website, the last time I checked only the Slack Enterprise was actually HIPAA-compliant).

sircastor · Answer

In my last role we used Mattermost for a while, and the incubator portion of the office used Slack. Everyone wanted to use Slack, but it was mostly a brand/clout thing. We ended up on slack and it was a virtually identical experience.