Message history is the real limit
Free chat plans rarely cap how many messages you send. They cap how long you can find them again, how many people can join, or how much file storage you get. From the official pages:
| App | History on the free plan | People | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slack Free | 90 days saved and searchable; data deleted after 1 year | Not stated | Not stated |
| Pumble Free | Unlimited | Unlimited users | 10 GB per workspace |
| Chanty Free | Unlimited searchable history | Up to 5 members | 20 GB per team |
| Zulip Cloud Free | 10,000 messages of search history | Not stated | 5 GB total |
| Microsoft Teams Free | Unlimited chat messages | Plan for 1 person; no Teams and channels | 5 GB |
| Rocket.Chat Starter | Your own server | Up to 50 users | Your own server |
If decisions get lost in chat after 90 days, write them down where they stay: the free knowledge base software list covers wikis for that.
Hosted or self-hosted
Self-hosting removes the history limits but adds an admin job: updates, backups and push notifications. The open source options here:
- Zulip is under Apache 2.0 and self-hosted Free includes all Zulip features; mobile notifications are capped at 10 users for organizations that are not eligible communities.
- Rocket.Chat has a free Starter plan, self-hosted for up to 50 users, and a Community edition for up to 100 concurrent users with push notifications capped at 10,000 a month.
- Element runs on the Matrix open standard; its Community plan is a self-hosted AGPL deployment for 1 to 100 users for non-professional use and evaluations.
We left out Mattermost: its download page describes the installs as a free limited-use edition for technical evaluation, and the pricing page does not describe a free plan for daily use.
Teams across time zones
Chat works best when people do not have to answer at once. When a real call is needed, find an hour that suits everyone with the meeting planner and check a single time with the time zone converter. Before you invite ten people to a status call that could have been a chat thread, the meeting cost calculator shows what an hour of everyone's time costs.
Calls on free chat plans are limited: Slack Free has 1:1 huddles only, Pumble and Chanty include one-to-one calls, and Teams Free meetings run up to 60 minutes with 100 participants. For group video, see the free video conferencing list.
Communities versus work teams
Discord is free with optional Nitro subscriptions and describes itself as made for gaming, hanging out with friends and building a community. It suits clubs, open source projects and hobby groups. For a company, check what your contract or industry requires about where messages are stored before you pick a consumer app. Zulip offers free Cloud Standard to open-source projects and academic research.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Slack Free keep messages?
Slack's pricing page says messages on the Free plan are saved and searchable for 90 days, and that Free Slack deletes data after 1 year. The Free plan also allows up to 10 apps and 1:1 huddles only.
Which free team chat keeps all messages?
Pumble's Free plan lists unlimited message history for an unlimited number of users with 10 GB storage per workspace. Chanty's Free plan keeps unlimited searchable history for up to 5 team members. Self-hosted servers such as Zulip, Rocket.Chat and Element keep what your own server stores.
Is there a free open source alternative to Slack?
Yes. Zulip is open source under Apache 2.0 and self-hosted Free includes all features, Rocket.Chat has free Starter and Community editions, and Element offers a free self-hosted Community plan under AGPL for 1 to 100 users.
What does Microsoft Teams Free include?
Microsoft's comparison lists unlimited chat messages, meetings of up to 60 minutes with 100 participants and 5 GB of cloud storage. Teams and channels, meeting recordings and breakout rooms are not included in Teams Free.
Can I use Discord for a team for free?
Discord is free to download, with optional Nitro subscriptions and server boosts as in-app purchases. It describes itself as made for gaming, friends and communities, so check your own rules on data storage before using it for work.