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Hasarak vs Mattermost
Mattermost is open-source chat you run yourself, built for security-heavy organizations. Hasarak is hosted chat and docs for teams that would rather not run a chat server.
Side by side
| Hasarak | Mattermost | |
|---|---|---|
| Channels, threads and DMs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hosted for you | ✓ | Enterprise cloud |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Open-source edition | — | ✓ |
| Docs next to chat | Pages, co-edited, with Mermaid | Boards, playbooks |
| MCP server for any MCP client | ✓ | — |
| Custom integrations | One HTTP endpoint | Plugins, webhooks, bots |
| Desktop and mobile apps | Not released yet | ✓ |
| Voice calls | — | ✓ |
Why teams switch from Mattermost
No chat server to run
No database, upgrades or backups to look after. Sign up and the workspace is ready.
Docs with diagrams in the same place
Pages hold specs and runbooks with tables, images and Mermaid diagrams, edited together next to the channel.
Your AI tools sign in as you
Add the workspace's MCP URL to Claude Code or Cursor; it uses OAuth and your own access, with no bot to set up.
Who should pick Mattermost
Mattermost is built for organizations that have to keep chat on their own infrastructure: defense, government, regulated industries and companies with strict data-residency rules. It is open source, runs on-premises or air-gapped, and its enterprise plans add compliance, auditing and high availability. It also has voice calls, desktop and mobile apps and a plugin system. If any of that is a hard requirement, choose Mattermost; Hasarak is hosted only and runs in the browser today.
Who should pick Hasarak
Most engineering teams don’t want to run a chat server. Hasarak is hosted, so there is nothing to install, upgrade or back up. It keeps docs as pages next to the conversation, edited together with Mermaid diagrams, and the workspace is an MCP server that Claude Code, Cursor or your scripts can sign in to. Your own tools plug in with a single HTTP endpoint.
Moving from Mattermost
There is no Mattermost importer. Create the channels you use every day and invite the team. Incoming webhooks and bots become connectors, or scripts that post through the MCP server. Keep your Mattermost server read-only for a while so old threads stay searchable, then retire it.
Questions
What is a good Mattermost alternative?
If you need to self-host, Zulip, Rocket.Chat and Element (Matrix) are the usual open-source options. If you'd rather not run a server at all, hosted tools like Hasarak or Slack are simpler; Hasarak adds pages with Mermaid and a built-in MCP server.
Can I self-host Hasarak like Mattermost?
No. Hasarak is hosted only, with a Free plan and a paid Team plan. If self-hosting is a requirement, Mattermost is the better fit.
Is Mattermost still free?
Yes, in two self-hosted forms: the open-source Team Edition and the free Entry edition, which has usage limits such as visible message history. Paid plans are sold through sales. Check mattermost.com for the current terms.
Does Mattermost have a terminal client?
Not an official one. Community projects such as Matterhorn exist. Hasarak's terminal client is in development and not released yet.
Related
- Hasarak vs ZulipZulip organizes channels into topics and is open source, cloud or self-hosted. Hasarak pairs channels and threads with an inbox, docs and an MCP server for your AI tools.→
- Hasarak vs Rocket.ChatRocket.Chat is open-source, self-managed communication with omnichannel support and federation. Hasarak is hosted chat and docs for engineering teams, with an MCP server for their AI tools.→
- Hasarak vs Google ChatGoogle Chat comes with Google Workspace and lives next to Gmail, Drive and Meet. Hasarak is a dedicated chat and docs workspace for engineering teams and their AI tools.→
- Hasarak vs ElementElement is the best-known Matrix client, built for federated, end-to-end encrypted and self-hosted messaging. Hasarak is hosted team chat and docs for engineering teams and their AI tools.→