Rocket.Chat
Slidev
| Feature | Rocket.Chat | Slidev |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $4/mo | Free only |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises | developers, tech-speakers, educators, open-source-contributors |
| Founded | 2015 | 2021 |
| Channels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Direct Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Calls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Federation | ✓ | ✗ |
| E2e Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marketplace | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown Slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Coding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vue Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recording | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pdf Export | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Slidev Pros
- Write slides in Markdown
- Live coding in presentations
- Full Vue component support
- Export to PDF or SPA
✗ Slidev Cons
- Requires developer knowledge
- No visual editor
- Not suitable for non-technical users
The Verdict
Rocket.Chat is built for security conscious organizations and government, with a focus on channels and direct-messaging. Slidev targets developers and tech speakers and leads with markdown-slides and live-coding.
Slidev uses custom enterprise pricing, while Rocket.Chat starts at $4/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Slidev edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Slidev has a slight overall edge — but if fully open-source and self-hostable matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.