The Mattermost alternative with no servers to run.
If you would rather not patch servers, or live with the free edition’s message limit, SphereOne gives you channels, threads, meetings, files and client rooms as a hosted workspace, and imports your Mattermost bulk export.
The short answer
SphereOne is a hosted Mattermost alternative for teams that want channels, threads, video meetings, files and client rooms without running their own servers. SphereOne Assist adds summaries and drafts on paid plans, and a Mattermost bulk export imports with its channels, people and messages. Teams that must host their chat themselves should stay with Mattermost or another self-hosted tool.
Why teams switch from Mattermost
What changes when chat, meetings, files and clients share one workspace.
SphereOne vs Mattermost at a glance
Mattermost’s prices change and differ by region, so we link to them rather than quote them.
| Capability | SphereOne | Mattermost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Hosted by SphereOne | Self-hosted, or Mattermost Cloud |
| Free edition | Free: up to 10 people, 30 days of history, no AI | Entry edition: the newest 10,000 messages shown |
| Team chat | Channels, DMs, threads, polls and voice notes | Channels, DMs and threads |
| Meetings | Built in: calls, screen sharing and guest links, up to 300 people on Business | Mattermost Calls, varying by edition |
| Files | SphereOne Box, with expiring links, versions and trash recovery | Files shared in channels |
| Calendar | Built in, with Google and Outlook events alongside | Through integrations |
| AI assistant | SphereOne Assist on every paid plan; not on Free | AI agents, capped on the free edition |
| Source code | Not open source | Open source |
| Pricing | Free plan; Starter US$8 and Business US$15 per person a month | Paid editions through Mattermost sales |
It’s time to switch if
- Your Mattermost server needs upgrades, backups and monitoring that nobody owns.
- You run the free Mattermost Entry edition, and older messages have dropped out of view.
- You want video meetings, a calendar and client rooms next to chat.
Mattermost may still fit better if
- You must host chat yourself, on your own network or air-gapped. SphereOne is hosted only.
- You need the source code, or deep changes through plugins.
- Your engineering workflows depend on Mattermost Playbooks or Boards.
Switch with your Mattermost history
Nothing is written until an admin confirms the preview, and any import can be undone.
The full Mattermost import guide- Make a bulk export with mmctl. A Mattermost system admin makes one bulk export of the whole server with mmctl, Mattermost’s command-line tool.
- Check the preview. SphereOne shows the rooms, people and message counts it found. Nothing is written yet.
- Decide people and rooms. Link each person to a member, invite them or keep their name only. Create each room fresh, merge it into one you have, or skip it.
- Import, and undo if you need to. Set a cut-off date for the day you switch. Undo removes only what the import created.
Questions about moving from Mattermost
Why can’t we see older Mattermost messages anymore?
Since Mattermost v11, the free Mattermost Entry edition shows only the newest 10,000 messages in channel history and search. Mattermost says older records stay in the database and come back on a paid edition. The other ways out are moving to Team Edition, with fewer features, or moving to another tool with your full export.
Can I import a Mattermost export into SphereOne?
Yes. A Mattermost system admin runs mmctl export create --include-archived-channels, then mmctl export download, and uploads the file. Teams, channels, direct and group messages, threads, reactions and attachments come over, with people matched by email. Imports run for workspace admins on Starter and up; on a free trial you can upload an export and see the full preview first.
Can SphereOne be self-hosted?
No. SphereOne is a hosted service. If self-hosting is a requirement, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat or Zulip are the tools to look at.
What is the best Mattermost alternative?
If you want to stop running servers and get meetings, files and client rooms beside chat, SphereOne fits. If you need to keep self-hosting, Rocket.Chat and Zulip are open-source options, and Element is built on the open Matrix protocol.
Comparing something else?
- Slack alternative
SphereOne vs Slack
Chat like Slack, with meetings, files, a calendar and client rooms in the same workspace.
- Microsoft Teams alternative
SphereOne vs Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings and files in one place, with Outlook events alongside and your Teams history.
- WhatsApp alternative
SphereOne vs WhatsApp
Client and team groups the company owns, instead of chats on personal phones.
- Google Chat alternative
SphereOne vs Google Chat
Fuller chat and client rooms, with Google Calendar events and Meet links kept.
- Discord alternative
SphereOne vs Discord
Company accounts, single sign-on and client rooms, instead of personal Discord logins.
- Telegram alternative
SphereOne vs Telegram
Work accounts and client rooms the company controls, instead of personal numbers.
Facts about Mattermost come from Mattermost’s own pages, checked on October 30, 2026. They can change, so check them before you decide. Product names and logos belong to their owners; SphereOne isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Switch from Mattermost with your history
Start free and see the full preview of your import, or book a walkthrough with our team.