Discourse vs Rocket.Chat
Both Discourse and Rocket.Chat are self-hosted alternatives to Slack.
Side by side
| Field | Discourse | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Advanced forum / community solution based on Ruby and JS. | Communications platform that puts data protection first. |
| GitHub stars | 48,046 | 46,357 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Platforms | Docker | Nodejs, Docker, K8S |
| Latest release | _gh-attach-assets, 15 July 2026 | 9.0.0-rc.3, 31 October 2026 |
| Repository activity | 2 November 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
| Health | Active | Active |
| Categories | Communication - Social Networks and Forums | Communication - Custom Communication Systems |
| Website | https://www.discourse.org/ | https://rocket.chat/ |
| Source code | https://github.com/discourse/discourse | https://github.com/RocketChat/Rocket.Chat |
Where the records differ
Computed from the two records above: a line appears only where the dataset states a figure, a date or a set relation, and no line recommends one application over the other.
- Discourse has more GitHub stars in the dataset, 48,046 against 46,357.
- Discourse recorded repository activity more recently, 2 November 2026 against 31 October 2026.
- Rocket.Chat has the newer release on record: 9.0.0-rc.3, 31 October 2026, against _gh-attach-assets, 15 July 2026.
- Licenses differ: Discourse is listed under GPL-2.0; Rocket.Chat under MIT.
- Platforms differ: Discourse lists Docker; Rocket.Chat lists Nodejs, Docker, K8S.
- Discourse is filed under Communication - Social Networks and Forums; Rocket.Chat is filed under Communication - Custom Communication Systems.