Mattermost
Proton
| Feature | Mattermost | Proton |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $3.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | devops-teams, security-conscious-orgs, government, enterprise | privacy-advocates, journalists, activists, security-conscious-users |
| Founded | 2015 | 2014 |
| Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Playbooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encrypted Email | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vpn | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cloud Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Password Manager | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aliases | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Destructing Messages | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Mattermost Pros
- Self-hostable
- Open source
- DevOps integrations
- Secure
✗ Mattermost Cons
- Smaller ecosystem
- Fewer integrations than Slack
- Self-hosting complexity
✓ Proton Pros
- End-to-end encryption for all services
- Swiss-based with strong privacy laws
- Open-source and independently audited
- Comprehensive privacy suite (mail, VPN, drive, calendar)
- Free tier available for all services
✗ Proton Cons
- Free storage is limited (1GB for mail)
- Less feature-rich than mainstream alternatives
- Search functionality limited due to encryption
The Verdict
Mattermost is built for devops teams and security conscious orgs, with a focus on messaging and channels. Proton targets privacy advocates and journalists and leads with encrypted-email and vpn.
On pricing, Proton is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $3.99/mo compared to $10/mo for Mattermost. That $6.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Proton offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Mattermost takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Proton has a slight overall edge — but if self-hostable matters most to you, Mattermost may still be the right call.