Chatwoot
Chat & CommunicationOpen-source customer engagement and live-chat platform
Replaces Intercom, Zendesk
Best Docker Chat & Communication for self-hosting
The 51 best Docker chat & communication you can self-host, ranked by community traction.
Etherpad
Chat & CommunicationReal-time collaborative document editor
Replaces Google Docs
Centrifugo
Chat & CommunicationScalable real-time messaging server for apps and websites
Replaces Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database
Typebot
Chat & CommunicationConversational app builder (alternative to Typeform and Landbot)
Mumble
Chat & CommunicationLow-latency, high-quality voice chat application
Replaces Discord, TeamSpeak
The Lounge
Chat & CommunicationModern, self-hosted web IRC client
Replaces IRCCloud, Slack
Papercups
Chat & CommunicationOpen-source live chat and customer messaging
Replaces Intercom, Drift
Zammad
Chat & CommunicationWeb-based helpdesk and customer support system
Replaces Zendesk, Freshdesk
WorkAdventure
Chat & CommunicationVirtual office / virtual conference application presented as a 16-bit
Soketi
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hostable WebSocket server compatible with Pusher
Replaces Pusher
Remark42
Chat & CommunicationPrivacy-focused lightweight commenting engine
Replaces Disqus
Isso
Chat & CommunicationLightweight self-hosted commenting server
Replaces Disqus
MiroTalk
Chat & CommunicationFree WebRTC video conferencing and meeting rooms
Replaces Zoom, Google Meet
FreeScout
Chat & CommunicationFree self-hosted help desk and shared inbox
Replaces Help Scout, Zendesk
Telegram Bot API Server
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hosted local Telegram Bot API server
Rustpad
Chat & CommunicationMinimal collaborative real-time text editor
Replaces Google Docs, Etherpad
Ergo
Chat & CommunicationModern IRC server with IRCv3 and bouncer features
Replaces Slack, Discord
Conversations
Chat & CommunicationOpen-source XMPP chat client for Android with OMEMO encryption
Replaces WhatsApp, Signal
AnyCable
Chat & CommunicationReal-time WebSocket server for in-app messaging
Replaces Pusher, Ably
Spacebar
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
Replaces Discord
SIPCAPTURE Homer
Chat & CommunicationTroubleshooting and monitoring VoIP calls
Routr
Chat & CommunicationLightweight SIP proxy, location server, and registrar for a reliable
GlobaLeaks
Chat & CommunicationWhistleblowing software enabling anyone to easily set up and maintain
Databag
Chat & CommunicationFederated, end-to-end encrypted messaging service for the web, iOS,
mautrix
Chat & CommunicationCollection of Matrix bridges for popular chat networks
Replaces Beeper
InspIRCd
Chat & CommunicationModular C++ Internet Relay Chat daemon
Replaces Slack, Discord
soju
Chat & CommunicationUser-friendly IRC bouncer with multi-network support
Replaces IRCCloud
KiwiIRC
Chat & CommunicationHosted-anywhere modern web IRC client
Replaces Slack, Discord
Glowing Bear
Chat & CommunicationWeb front end for the WeeChat IRC relay
Replaces IRCCloud, Slack
Bonfire
Chat & CommunicationFederated social networking toolkit for communities
Replaces Facebook Groups, Discord
Quassel IRC
Chat & CommunicationDistributed IRC client with an always-on core
Replaces Slack
Mumble Web
Chat & CommunicationBrowser-based client for Mumble voice servers
Replaces Discord, TeamSpeak
Comentario
Chat & CommunicationPrivacy-friendly, self-hosted web comments engine
Replaces Disqus
Nextcloud Talk Signaling Server
Chat & CommunicationScalable signaling backend for Nextcloud Talk
Replaces Zoom
MiroTalk C2C
Chat & CommunicationReal-time cam-to-cam video calls and screen sharing
matrix-appservice-irc
Chat & CommunicationBridge connecting Matrix rooms to IRC channels
Replaces Slack IRC gateway
Chatmail Relay
Chat & CommunicationMinimal email server tuned for Delta Chat messaging
Replaces WhatsApp, Signal
Hookshot
Chat & CommunicationMatrix bridge for GitHub, GitLab, Jira and webhooks
Replaces Slack
Spectrum 2
Chat & CommunicationTransport and gateway framework for messaging networks
Replaces Bitlbee
Jami Server Bridge
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hosted name registry and bridge for the Jami network
Replaces Skype, Zoom
Comm
Chat & CommunicationE2E-encrypted personal-server messaging app
Replaces Discord, Slack
Heisenbridge
Chat & CommunicationBouncer-style Matrix to IRC bridge
Replaces ZNC
Ferdium Server
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hosted backend for syncing Ferdium settings
Replaces Franz Server
Draupnir
Chat & CommunicationModeration bot for Matrix communities
Replaces Discord moderation bots
baibot
Chat & CommunicationSelf-hosted AI assistant bot for Matrix rooms
Replaces Slack AI assistants
matrix-media-repo
Chat & CommunicationStandalone media storage for Matrix homeservers
Replaces Slack file storage
Cactus Comments
Chat & CommunicationFederated commenting system built on Matrix
Replaces Disqus
Flexisip
Chat & CommunicationComplete, modular and scalable SIP server, includes a push gateway
SAMA
Chat & CommunicationNext-Gen self-hosted chat server and clients
Hebbot
Chat & CommunicationMatrix bot that generates news summaries from chat
Replaces Slack workflows
TrueConf
Chat & CommunicationPlatform for your corporate communications, based on the advanced
No apps match these filters.
At a glance
| App | Deploy effort | Difficulty | Min. RAM | License | ★ Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 2,048 MB | MIT | 37,766 |
| Etherpad | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | Apache-2.0 | 18,587 |
| Centrifugo | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 256 MB | MIT | 10,865 |
| Typebot | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 10,536 |
| Mumble | Under-an-hour setup | Easy | 128 MB | BSD-3-Clause | 8,340 |
| The Lounge | Under-an-hour setup | Easy | 256 MB | MIT | 6,355 |
| Papercups | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 1,024 MB | MIT | 6,116 |
| Zammad | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 4,096 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 6,011 |
| WorkAdventure | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 5,851 |
| Soketi | Under-an-hour setup | Easy | 128 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 5,636 |
Quick picks
- Most adopted: Chatwoot (37,766 GitHub stars).
- Lightest footprint: Rustpad (from 64 MB RAM, against 4,096 MB for the heaviest here).
- Licensing: 17 of 51 use AGPL-3.0; check the rest individually if you plan to modify and redistribute.
Every option here is open-source and self-hostable, tagged Docker within the chat & communication category. Deploy effort is graded from published container recipes, not vendor claims — see the methodology.