Joplin
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Joplin | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-advocates, developers, linux-users, evernote-migrants | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sync | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Clipper | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✗ |
| Notebooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
| E2e Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Joplin Pros
- Free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-host option
- Import from Evernote
✗ Joplin Cons
- Less polished UI
- Sync requires setup
- Limited collaboration
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- End-to-end encryption
- Federation support between instances
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Self-hosted requires maintenance
- Mobile apps less polished than Slack
- Smaller app ecosystem
The Verdict
Joplin is built for privacy advocates and developers, with a focus on markdown and encryption. Rocket.Chat targets security conscious organizations and government and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
Pricing is close: Joplin starts at $2.99/mo versus $4/mo for Rocket.Chat — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
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.