The Best Secure Team Chat Software in 2026
We researched secure team chat software from official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Products are ranked on the category’s core job, value for money and verified features, helping teams compare private, controlled group messaging for internal business use.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
Element#1 of 309.4/10A flexible secure chat platform for teams that need control over deployment and data.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Mattermost#2 of 309.2/10A broad, open-source team chat platform for technical teams that need control and integrations.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
Rocket.Chat#3 of 309.0/10A broad, open-source team chat platform built for controlled, self-hosted collaboration.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 30 tools, best first
-
Best forSecurity-first teams needing flexible deployment
A flexible secure chat platform for teams that need control over deployment and data.
- Guest access
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Element -
Best forTechnical teams needing workflows and integrations
A broad, open-source team chat platform for technical teams that need control and integrations.
- Guest access
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Mattermost -
Best forTeams needing secure, extensible self-hosting
A broad, open-source team chat platform built for controlled, self-hosted collaboration.
- Guest access
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Rocket.Chat -
Best forSecurity-focused organizations needing enterprise controls
A security-focused team chat with enterprise controls, broad platform support, and no always-free plan.
- SSO support
- Audit logs
- Guest access
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit AWS Wickr -
Best forTeams wanting polished encrypted collaboration
Encrypted collaboration with channels, conferencing, guest access, and enterprise controls.
- Guest access
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Wire -
Best forEnterprise teams needing encryption and governance
A broad enterprise chat suite with encryption, governance, conferencing, and deployment choice.
- SSO support
- Audit logs
- Guest access
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit eXpress -
Best forPrivacy-focused teams and small organizations
A privacy-focused chat platform with anonymous accounts, encrypted calls, and self-hosting options.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Threema -
Best forOrganizations needing regulated deployment options
A deployment-flexible team messenger with emergency workflows and enterprise controls.
- Guest access
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Teamwire -
Best forBudget-conscious teams wanting broad chat features
Broad chat, calling, search, and security features at a $2.50 per-user monthly entry tier.
- Guest access
8.1/10★★★★☆Try Troop Messenger -
Best forTeams wanting private, disappearing-message chat
A private team chat option with strong encryption and disappearing messages.
- SSO support
- File sharing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit KeeperChat -
Best forTeams wanting tenant-isolated encrypted work chat
A focused encrypted work chat suite with calls, files, administration, and on-device AI.
- File sharing
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit KChat Work -
Best forTeams prioritizing secure calls and device control
A secure team communications app with strong calling and administration features.
- SSO support
- Guest access
- File sharing
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Silent Phone -
Best forHealthcare teams needing secure administrative controls
A secure team chat choice for healthcare organizations needing administrative control.
- SSO support
- Audit logs
- File sharing
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit TigerConnect -
Best forEnterprises needing cross-network messaging
Cross-network enterprise messaging with Teams interoperability, APIs, archiving, and monitoring.
- Guest access
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Symphony -
Best forOrganizations needing mature encrypted communications
A mature secure chat suite for organizations that need encrypted communication and administration.
- Audit logs
- Guest access
- File sharing
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit BlackBerry -
Best forEstablished teams needing administration tools
A broad private chat suite for established teams that need administration tools.
- Guest access
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Brosix -
Best forWindows-heavy teams buying perpetual licenses
A one-time-licensed chat tool for Windows-focused teams needing local-network collaboration.
- File sharing
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Softros -
Best forTeams wanting conventional secure business chat
A conventional business chat service with calling, permissions, and six-platform coverage.
- SSO support
- Guest access
- File sharing
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Yay.com -
Best forMobile teams wanting inexpensive encrypted chat
A low-cost encrypted chat option for mobile teams that need basic administration.
- File sharing
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Secretly -
Best forMobile teams needing controlled encrypted messaging
A mobile-first team chat option for organisations needing encrypted, controlled communication.
- Audit logs
- File sharing
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit LockChat -
Best forMac and iPhone teams needing encrypted chat
A low-cost encrypted chat option for Mac and iPhone teams that need focused coverage.
- Guest access
- File sharing
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Eleven -
Best forTeams combining secure chat with file management
A privacy-focused collaboration app combining encrypted chat, files, drives, and secure browsing.
- File sharing
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Diode -
Best forSmall teams needing encrypted basic collaboration
A privacy-focused team chat with strong encryption and limited collaboration breadth.
- Guest access
- File sharing
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Crypho -
Best forTeams seeking low-cost encrypted rooms
Encrypted rooms, governance, search, and voice/video for security-focused teams.
- SSO support
- File sharing
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Indryve -
Best forSmall mobile-first teams wanting low pricing
Low-cost team chat with guests, administration, file sharing, and mobile access.
- Audit logs
- Guest access
- File sharing
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit 8seats -
Best forHealthcare organizations needing patient communication
Healthcare-focused messaging with clinical workflows, but no end-to-end encryption.
- Audit logs
- Guest access
- File sharing
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Celo -
Best forClinical teams coordinating patient care
A healthcare-focused chat platform for coordinating patient care across clinical teams.
- Audit logs
- File sharing
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Care Thread -
Best forHospitals needing clinical escalation workflows
A specialized communication hub for hospital messaging, escalation, and auditability.
- Audit logs
- File sharing
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Spok -
Best forSenior-care organizations using PointClickCare
A focused care-team chat tool built around PointClickCare workflows.
- File sharing
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit PointClickCare -
Best forHealthcare organizations using Direct messaging
A focused Direct messaging platform for secure clinical information exchange.
- SSO support
- Audit logs
- File sharing
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Orion Health
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | End-to-end encryption | Guest access | File sharing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Element | Yes | Yes | 9.4 | |||
| 2 | Mattermost | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |||
| 3 | Rocket.Chat | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |||
| 4 | AWS Wickr | No | $5/user/mo | Default | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 5 | Wire | Yes | €7.45/user/mo | Yes | 8.7 | ||
| 6 | eXpress | Yes | Optional | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 7 | Threema | No | $3/user/mo | 8.4 | |||
| 8 | Teamwire | No | €3.45/user/mo | Yes | 8.2 | ||
| 9 | Troop Messenger | No | $2.50/user/mo | Yes | 8.1 | ||
| 10 | KeeperChat | Yes | Default | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 11 | KChat Work | No | $3.99/seat/mo | Default | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 12 | Silent Phone | Default | Yes | Yes | 7.7 | ||
| 13 | TigerConnect Secure Text Messaging | Default | Yes | 7.6 | |||
| 14 | Symphony | No | Yes | 7.5 | |||
| 15 | BBM Enterprise | Default | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | ||
| 16 | Brosix | No | $6/user/mo | Yes | 7.3 | ||
| 17 | Softros LAN Messenger | No | $12.95/user one-time | Yes | 7.2 | ||
| 18 | Yay.com Business Instant Messaging | No | Default | Yes | Yes | 7.1 | |
| 19 | Secretly for Teams | Yes | $14.99/yr | Default | Yes | 7.0 | |
| 20 | LockChat | Yes | Default | Yes | 6.9 | ||
| 21 | Eleven for Business | Yes | €11/user/yr | Default | Yes | Yes | 6.8 |
| 22 | Diode Collab | Yes | Default | Yes | 6.7 | ||
| 23 | Crypho | Yes | €379/mo | Default | Yes | Yes | 6.6 |
| 24 | Indryve Converse | No | $2/user/mo | Default | Yes | 6.5 | |
| 25 | 8seats | Yes | $2.99/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 6.4 | |
| 26 | Celo | Yes | $49/mo | None | Yes | Yes | 6.3 |
| 27 | Care Thread | Default | Yes | 6.2 | |||
| 28 | Spok Secure Messaging | Yes | 6.1 | ||||
| 29 | PointClickCare Secure Conversations | Yes | 6.0 | ||||
| 30 | Orion Health Communicate | Yes | 6.0 |
Head-to-head All 22 comparisons →
- Element vs AWS Wickr
- Element vs eXpress
- Element vs Teamwire
- Mattermost vs AWS Wickr
- Mattermost vs Wire
- Mattermost vs eXpress
- Mattermost vs Threema
- Mattermost vs Teamwire
- Rocket.Chat vs AWS Wickr
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How we rank secure team chat software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update