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Output Messenger review

Freemium#36 of 63 in Team Chat Apps

A low-cost self-hosted chat suite with broad built-in collaboration tools.

5.5/10Editor score
Try Output Messenger
Output Messenger5.5 Try Output Messenger

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Output Messenger is a self-hosted team communication platform for offices, distributed teams, and organizations that want control over their messaging infrastructure. It combines one-to-one and group messaging with persistent chat rooms, file transfer, shared drive storage, voice and video calls, screen sharing, remote desktop, tasks, to-do lists, and calendar features. Browser access and client applications are available across web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, while the Web API supports custom connections. It suits teams looking for a broad communication workspace rather than a chat-only tool.

Pricing is built around free and paid licensing. The Free plan supports 3 users with lifetime validity. Published paid plans include perpetual licenses at $19, $17, and $15 per user, each described as a lifetime license with a one-time payment. Annual licenses are listed at $9, $7, and $6 per user per year, each with a one-year term and the customer's own server. The listed starting price is $3 per user per year with annual billing, and a 30-day free trial is available. The range of license options gives buyers multiple ownership and term choices, although the plan presentation uses several selectable-user ranges.

Its strongest case is breadth within a self-managed deployment: persistent rooms, file handling, calls, screen sharing, remote desktop, history logs, advanced search, tasks, Active Directory integration, SSO, 2FA, and API access are all part of the feature set. Integrations include Output Desk, Output Wall, Output Time, Jitsi Meet, and GitHub. That ecosystem is focused rather than expansive, and guest support is limited. Choose Output Messenger if self-hosting, low licensing costs, and built-in collaboration features matter most. Teams prioritizing a wider integration ecosystem or stronger guest participation should consider alternatives.

Output Messenger pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Messaging, rooms, files, calls, tasks, and remote desktop in one product
    • Clients cover web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
    • Active Directory, SSO, 2FA, chat search, and a Web API included
  • Where it doesn't
    • Integration coverage centers on five listed tools
    • Self-hosted deployments use the customer's own server
    • Guest support is limited

Output Messenger fact sheet, pricing and score →

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