Wire

Open source alternative to Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco Webex

2.8K stars
AGPL-3.0
Active this week
Last commit 2 days ago

Last verified Oct 20, 2026

Secure team messaging, calls, and file sharing with end-to-end encryption and self-hosting options for regulated organizations.

Visit website GitHub2.8K

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Wire is for#

Privacy-conscious teams replacing chat suites

Use Wire when messaging, calls, and file sharing need stronger privacy positioning than a generic team chat product.

Skip if:

Your main requirement is the largest possible third-party app directory.

Organizations reviewing communication infrastructure

Use Wire when security and compliance teams need more visibility into collaboration tooling.

Skip if:

You need a consumer messaging app with public network discovery.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Team communication tools carry sensitive conversations, files, calls, and organizational metadata. For privacy-conscious organizations, a generic hosted chat platform may create compliance, data-location, and trust questions that are hard to answer.

The challenge is balancing security with everyday collaboration. Teams need messaging and calls that people can actually use, while security teams need stronger control than a consumer chat app provides.

how Wire solves it

How it solves it#

Encrypted team communication

Wire focuses on secure messaging, voice, video, and file sharing, giving teams one communication surface for sensitive collaboration.

Open server components

The wire-server repository exposes backend service code, which helps technical reviewers inspect part of the communication stack.

Business collaboration focus

Wire is positioned for teams and organizations rather than only consumer messaging, which matters for administration and workplace use.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Security-first collaboration postureWire is a stronger fit than general team chat when privacy and secure communication are central adoption requirements.
Useful for regulated teamsOrganizations with legal, public-sector, or privacy requirements can evaluate Wire with more technical visibility than a fully closed chat stack.

Trade-offs

-Deployment details need reviewWire's open server components do not mean every organization can run a complete equivalent of the commercial service without planning hosting, clients, and support.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: HaskellRust

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Wire a Slack alternative?

Wire can replace Slack for teams that prioritize secure messaging, calls, and file sharing. Slack remains broader for app integrations and workplace automation.

Is Wire open source?

Wire publishes server code in an AGPL-3.0 repository. Teams should verify which components and deployment model match their requirements.

Who should evaluate Wire?

Wire is best for organizations where privacy, secure collaboration, and communication governance matter more than maximal plugin breadth.

Looking for more

Other ways to replace Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco Webex#

Buzz

Featuredfor Slack

Self-hosted team chat where people and AI agents work together

36,174Visit

Mattermost

#1 in the Slack guide

Closest drop-in Slack replacement for self-hosted teams

39,388

Rocket.Chat

#2 in the Slack guide

Teams needing internal chat and customer omnichannel in one tool

46,298

Zulip

#3 in the Slack guide

Async-first teams that need organized, low-noise conversations

26,085

All 17 Slack alternatives 8 open source Slack alternatives, ranked

by category

Open source tools in these categories#

126

Featured

rakazo

Alternative toGrok Bot

AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.

4,904 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0
#AI Agents

Inbox Zero

Alternative toSuperhuman

AI email assistant that drafts replies and clears your inbox

12,712 GitHub stars
Licence AGPL-3.0
#Email

Omnara

Alternative toClaude Managed Agents

Open-source agent deployment API. Self-host or use Omnara Cloud.

2,957 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0
#AI Agents

Feature your project

The projects we add and every new guide. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who Wire is for#

Privacy-conscious teams replacing chat suites

Use Wire when messaging, calls, and file sharing need stronger privacy positioning than a generic team chat product.

Skip if:

Your main requirement is the largest possible third-party app directory.

Organizations reviewing communication infrastructure

Use Wire when security and compliance teams need more visibility into collaboration tooling.

Skip if:

You need a consumer messaging app with public network discovery.

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Encrypted team communication

Wire focuses on secure messaging, voice, video, and file sharing, giving teams one communication surface for sensitive collaboration.

Open server components

The wire-server repository exposes backend service code, which helps technical reviewers inspect part of the communication stack.

Business collaboration focus

Wire is positioned for teams and organizations rather than only consumer messaging, which matters for administration and workplace use.

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Security-first collaboration postureWire is a stronger fit than general team chat when privacy and secure communication are central adoption requirements.
Useful for regulated teamsOrganizations with legal, public-sector, or privacy requirements can evaluate Wire with more technical visibility than a fully closed chat stack.

Trade-offs

-Deployment details need reviewWire's open server components do not mean every organization can run a complete equivalent of the commercial service without planning hosting, clients, and support.

FAQ#

Is Wire a Slack alternative?

Wire can replace Slack for teams that prioritize secure messaging, calls, and file sharing. Slack remains broader for app integrations and workplace automation.

Is Wire open source?

Wire publishes server code in an AGPL-3.0 repository. Teams should verify which components and deployment model match their requirements.

Who should evaluate Wire?

Wire is best for organizations where privacy, secure collaboration, and communication governance matter more than maximal plugin breadth.

Other ways to replace Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco Webex#

Buzz

Featuredfor Slack

Self-hosted team chat where people and AI agents work together

36,174Visit

Mattermost

#1 in the Slack guide

Closest drop-in Slack replacement for self-hosted teams

39,388

Rocket.Chat

#2 in the Slack guide

Teams needing internal chat and customer omnichannel in one tool

46,298

Zulip

#3 in the Slack guide

Async-first teams that need organized, low-noise conversations

26,085

All 17 Slack alternatives 8 open source Slack alternatives, ranked

Who Wire is for#

Privacy-conscious teams replacing chat suites

Skip if:

Organizations reviewing communication infrastructure

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Encrypted team communication

Open server components

Business collaboration focus

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Other ways to replace Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco Webex#

Open source tools in these categories#

Communication & Collaboration

Security & Monitoring

Business & Productivity

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who Wire is for#

Privacy-conscious teams replacing chat suites

Skip if:

Organizations reviewing communication infrastructure

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Encrypted team communication

Open server components

Business collaboration focus

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Other ways to replace Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco Webex#

Open source tools in these categories#

Communication & Collaboration

Security & Monitoring

Business & Productivity

Find open source alternatives to paid software