Abstract
Mattermost
| Feature | Abstract | Mattermost |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $13/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | design-teams, agencies, enterprise-design, product-teams | devops-teams, security-conscious-orgs, government, enterprise |
| Founded | 2015 | 2015 |
| Version Control | ✓ | ✗ |
| Branching | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Reviews | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collections | ✓ | ✗ |
| Inspect | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Playbooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Compliance | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Abstract Pros
- Version control for design
- Great for teams
- Design reviews
- Branching
✗ Abstract Cons
- Sketch-focused
- Expensive
- Steep learning curve
✓ Mattermost Pros
- Self-hostable
- Open source
- DevOps integrations
- Secure
✗ Mattermost Cons
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer integrations than Slack
- Self-hosting complexity
The Verdict
Abstract is built for design teams and agencies, with a focus on version-control and branching. Mattermost targets devops teams and security conscious orgs and leads with messaging and channels.
Pricing is close: Mattermost starts at $10/mo versus $13/mo for Abstract — not a deciding factor on its own.
Mattermost has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Abstract requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.