Relay.app
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Relay.app | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $16/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | operations-teams, agencies, small-businesses, compliance-teams | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises |
| Founded | 2021 | 2015 |
| Workflow Builder | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Steps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Human Approvals | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multiplayer Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Conditional Logic | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
| E2e Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Relay.app Pros
- Human-in-the-loop approvals
- AI steps built in
- Collaborative workflows
- Clean modern interface
✗ Relay.app Cons
- Fewer integrations than Zapier
- Newer platform
- Limited advanced logic
✓ 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
Relay.app is built for operations teams and agencies, with a focus on workflow-builder and ai-steps. Rocket.Chat targets security conscious organizations and government and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
On pricing, Rocket.Chat is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $16/mo for Relay.app. That $12/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.
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.