European Alternatives to Slack
Team communication and collaboration platform. Below are 2 alternatives from companies headquartered in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 1 of them keeps data in the EU only, and 2 have a free plan.
Headquartered in Europe
Every company listed here has its headquarters in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, not just a data centre there.
Data location you can check
The pricing table shows whether each one keeps data in the EU only, offers an EU region, or does not say.
Outside the US CLOUD Act
US providers can be ordered to hand over data held in their European data centres. A European company with no US parent or US operations is outside that reach.
Compare Slack Alternatives
| Company | Headquarters | Data Residency | Founded | Pricing | Open Source | Employees | Funding | Replaces | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wire Open Source | Zug, Switzerland | 🇪🇺 EU Only | 2012 | Free personal, €4/user/mo teams | ✅ Yes | ~100 | Raised $30M+, backed by Morpheus Ventures | Slack, Microsoft Teams | Visit |
Element Open Source | London, United Kingdom | 🇪🇺 EU Available | 2017 | Free, enterprise plans available | ✅ Yes | ~200 | Raised $50M+, backed by Automattic, Notion Capital | Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp | Visit |
Slack Alternatives: Pricing and Hosting Compared
Starting prices are the lowest paid plan each vendor publishes. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy, as plans change.
2 European Alternatives
Wire
Swiss secure messaging with end-to-end encryption. Enterprise-grade security, EU data centers.
UK-based Matrix client. Decentralized, end-to-end encrypted communication. Used by governments.
What to Check Before Switching from Slack
Where your data will be stored
1 of the 2 alternatives here says it keeps data in the EU only. Element offers an EU region alongside others, so choose it explicitly when you set up the account.
How you can try it
Wire and Element have a free plan, so you can run a real test before cancelling Slack.
Open source
Wire and Element release their software or models under an open licence, which makes it easier to self-host, inspect what runs, and move again later.
Security certifications
Certifications we have confirmed on the vendor’s own site: Wire (ISO 27001, ISO 27701). If your procurement requires one, check the others directly.
What you need to bring from Slack
List the data, templates and integrations you rely on in Slack, then confirm each one can be exported and that the alternative can import it or offers an API to rebuild it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the European alternatives to Slack?
- We list 2 companies headquartered in Europe that replace Slack: Wire (Switzerland) and Element (United Kingdom).
- Is there a free European alternative to Slack?
- Wire and Element have a free plan. Free plans usually come with limits on usage or features, so check them against how you use Slack today.
- Which Slack alternatives keep data in the EU?
- Wire keeps data in the EU only. Element lets you choose an EU region.
- Is there an open-source European alternative to Slack?
- Yes: Wire and Element.