Rocket.Chat vs eXpress

Rocket.Chat9.0Visit eXpress8.5Visit

Higher score Rocket.Chat #3 in Secure Team Chat Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Rocket.Chat

vs

eXpress #6 in Secure Team Chat Software 8.5/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit eXpress

• Rocket.Chat fits best

  Teams needing secure, extensible self-hosting

• eXpress fits best

  Enterprise teams needing encryption and governance

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Side by side

Feature	Rocket.Chat 9.0/10 Visit ↗	eXpress 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.5
Ranking	#3 in Secure Team Chat Software	#6 in Secure Team Chat Software
Best for	Teams needing secure, extensible self-hosting	Enterprise teams needing encryption and governance
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	SOC 2, GDPR, SSO/SAML, 2FA	2FA
Integrations	5,000+ integrations	70+ integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Rocket.Chat 1/4 · eXpress 4/4
Guest access	✓	✓
File sharing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Audit logs	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
SSO support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
End-to-end encryption	Not checked yet	Optional
Message retention	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mobile apps	Not checked yet	Both
Our review
Pros	Self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options Channels, search, calls, guests, and file sharing Open APIs, webhooks, federation, and broad integrations	End-to-end encrypted chats with privacy and forwarding controls On-premises or protected-cloud deployment options Conferencing, recording, guest links, and enterprise integrations
Cons	Starter is limited to 50 users Community is limited to core messaging Enterprise plans require quote-based pricing	Paid entry pricing is presented as price on request in English Advanced governance and integrations target larger organizations End-to-end encryption is optional at the category level
Our verdict	Rocket.Chat is an open-source communications platform for organizations that need controlled collaboration and data ownership. It brings together public and private channels, direct messages, threaded discussions, searchable message… Read the review →	eXpress is an enterprise communications platform for businesses, government organizations, and corporate teams. It combines personal and group chats, channels, threaded discussions, file sharing, voice calls, video conferences, chatbots,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Rocket.Chat — where it wins

  • Self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options
  • Channels, search, calls, guests, and file sharing
  • Open APIs, webhooks, federation, and broad integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Starter is limited to 50 users
  • Community is limited to core messaging
  • Enterprise plans require quote-based pricing

• eXpress — where it wins

  • End-to-end encrypted chats with privacy and forwarding controls
  • On-premises or protected-cloud deployment options
  • Conferencing, recording, guest links, and enterprise integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid entry pricing is presented as price on request in English
  • Advanced governance and integrations target larger organizations
  • End-to-end encryption is optional at the category level

• Rocket.Chat9.0/10 · Free plan

  A broad, open-source team chat platform built for controlled, self-hosted collaboration.

  Visit Rocket.ChatFull verdict →
• eXpress8.5/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad enterprise chat suite with encryption, governance, conferencing, and deployment choice.

  Visit eXpressFull verdict →