Google Chat

Judgement

What it is

Complete system

What it does

Direct messages, group chats and spaces inside Gmail and Google Workspace, linked to Drive files and Meet.

Adopt it when

Your company runs on Google Workspace and wants basic team chat that is already included.

Watch out

Fewer integrations and weaker threading than Slack, and Google has a history of reshaping its chat products.

Ready for

Production-ready

Runs as

Cloud service and mobile app

What the license allows

Closed source: you use it under the maker's terms and cannot change or resell the code.

Judged on 2026-11-03 from the maker's description and Wikipedia. The license and age lines are worked out directly.

Open-source alternatives to Google Chat

1. 1
   Zulip zulip

   Zulip server and web application. Open-source team chat that helps teams stay productive and focused.

   Complete system Production-ready Your team finds Slack threads chaotic and wants organised, asynchronous conversations, self-hosted or hosted.

   ★ 26k Apache-2.0 Python Active, pushed today
2. 2
   Element-web element-hq

   A glossy Matrix collaboration client for the web.

   Complete system Production-ready You use Matrix and want the most complete client, or want to host your own web client.

   ★ 14k AGPL-3.0 TypeScript Active, pushed today
3. 3
   Chat tinode

   Instant messaging platform. Backend in Go. Clients: Swift iOS, Java Android, JS webapp, scriptable command line; chatbots

   Complete system Usable You want to embed or run your own messaging service with ready clients.

   ★ 14k GPL-3.0 Go Active, pushed 8 days ago
4. 4
   Synapse element-hq

   Synapse: Matrix homeserver written in Python/Twisted + Rust

   Complete system Production-ready You want to run your own Matrix server for a team or community that can federate with others.

   ★ 4.8k AGPL-3.0 Python Active, pushed today
5. 5
   Quiet TryQuiet

   A private, p2p alternative to Slack and Discord built on Tor & IPFS

   Complete system Experimental A small group values running chat with no server at all and accepts missing features compared with Slack.

   ★ 2.7k GPL-3.0 TypeScript Active, pushed today
6. 6
   Colanode colanode

   Open-source and local-first Slack and Notion alternative that puts you in control of your data

   Complete system Experimental A small team wants chat and docs together on its own server with offline support.

   ★ 5.2k Apache-2.0 TypeScript Slowing, pushed 7 months ago
7. 7
   Raven frappe

   Simple, open source team messaging platform

   Complete system Usable Your company runs ERPNext or other Frappe apps and wants chat inside the same system.

   ★ 839 AGPL-3.0 TypeScript Active, pushed today

Every alternative to Google Chat

Other commercial team chat apps

1. 1
   Discord Discord Inc.

   American online communication software

   Complete system Production-ready You run a public or semi-public community, such as gamers, an open-source project or a creator audience.

   42k readers a month Since 2015 Commercial
2. 2
   Microsoft Teams Microsoft

   Team collaboration application

   Complete system Production-ready Your business already pays for Microsoft 365 and wants chat and video meetings without another vendor.

   20k readers a month Since 2017 Commercial
3. 3
   Slack Salesforce, Inc.

   Boost productivity and save time with Slack‌ – ‌the AI work platform for managing projects, automating workflows and connecting teams securely. Start working smarter today.

   Complete system Production-ready A team wants the chat tool with the widest integration ecosystem and is willing to pay per seat.

   8.4k readers a month Since 2013 Commercial

Under it

Every program, Google Chat included, runs on a microchip.

How compilers were built, back to punched paper tape