Free picks · Mac
Best free communication apps for Mac (2026)
Every pick is listed under Communication in our directory, runs on a Mac and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for communication and apps built for Mac.
Short answer
The best free communication apps for Mac are Discord, Slack and Loom, the top three of 16 matches in our directory. 1 of the 10 picks is completely free and the other 9 have a free plan; 4 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 16
- Completely free
- 1
- Open source
- 4
- Work offline
- 1
- Native apps
- 1
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discord | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Free voice, video and text chat for communities, friends and small teams. |
| 2 | Slack | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Team communication organised into channels. |
| 3 | Loom | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome, iOS, Android | — | Replace meetings with quick async video. |
| 4 | Mattermost | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Open source | Self-hosted, open-source team chat with a free edition for small teams. |
| 5 | Zulip | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Open source | Open-source team chat where every conversation has a topic, so threads stay readable. |
| 6 | Pumble | Free plan | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Team chat with a free plan for unlimited users and unlimited message history. |
| 7 | Microsoft Teams (free) | Free | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | — | Microsoft's free chat and video meetings for personal use. |
| 8 | Xnapper | Free plan | macOS | — | The beautiful screenshot app for Mac — backgrounds, balance and annotations handled for you. |
| 9 | Rocket.Chat | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Open source | Open-source team chat you host yourself, free for up to 50 users. |
| 10 | Element | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Open source | Open-source, Matrix-based messaging you can self-host for free. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Mac pick, rated 4.5/5, the highest here. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it is easy to pick up. On our Linux list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Built for communities, so admin and compliance tools are thin for businesses
Number 2 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.2/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features and is easy to pick up. On our Linux list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Can become a distraction engine
Number 3 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Chrome, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Linux top 7 (not listed for Linux).
Watch out for: Free plan video limits
Number 4 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it is privacy-focused. On our Linux list it is number 3.
Watch out for: You need to run and maintain your own server
Number 5 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. On our Linux list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Free cloud plan only searches the latest 10,000 messages
Number 6 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it is easy to pick up. On our Linux list it is number 5.
Watch out for: Fewer third-party integrations than Slack
Number 7 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.0/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, iOS and Android. Its listing says it is easy to pick up. It is not in the Linux top 7 (not listed for Linux).
Watch out for: Group meetings end after 60 minutes
Number 8 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Listed mainly under Personal Productivity, it also covers communication. A Mac app that runs on a Mac and nowhere else. Its listing says it works offline and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Linux top 7 (not listed for Linux).
Watch out for: Mac only
Number 9 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.2/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it is privacy-focused. On our Linux list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Self-managed only on the free plans, so you need technical setup
Number 10 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.3/5. Communication is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it is privacy-focused. On our Linux list it is number 7.
Watch out for: Self-hosting needs technical setup
Running these on Mac
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Mac picks are 9 web apps (Discord, Slack, Loom, Mattermost and 5 others) and 1 Mac app (Xnapper).
- 1 of 10 are apps you install on a Mac, and Xnapper is made specifically for Mac; the other 9 are web or cloud tools listed for Mac.
- Xnapper is listed for Mac and nothing else. Discord reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides Mac.
- 9 of 10 also run on iPhone and iPad, so the same tool can follow you between Mac and iPhone; Xnapper does not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms, and the other price filter. Only the differences are named.
- Free communication apps for Linux
7 of these 10 Mac picks also make the Linux top 7. 3 are on this list only: Loom (not listed for Linux), Microsoft Teams (free) (not listed for Linux) and Xnapper (not listed for Linux).
- Free communication apps for iPhone
8 of these 10 Mac picks also make the iPhone top 10; the 2 that do not are Xnapper and Element.
- Free open-source communication apps for Mac
Want code you can inspect? 4 picks of 10 here are tagged open source; the open-source Mac list ranks 5 such tools, led by Mattermost, Zulip and Rocket.Chat.
More matches
6 more free communication apps for Mac in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free communication app for Mac?
- Discord is our first pick. Free voice, video and text chat for communities, friends and small teams. Discord has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these communication apps really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. Microsoft Teams (free) is completely free. Discord, Slack, Loom, Mattermost and 5 others have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these communication apps are open source?
- Mattermost, Zulip, Rocket.Chat and Element are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on a Mac?
- Xnapper is listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Discord, Slack and Loom are rated beginner-friendly, along with 3 other picks. 4 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free communication apps for Mac are in the directory?
- 16 match: listed under Communication, available on a Mac and free to start. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Communication category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
Related free lists
- Free open-source communication apps for Mac
- Free communication apps for iPhone
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
- Free communication apps for Linux
- Free to-do list apps for Mac
- Free open-source communication apps for Windows
- Free project management apps for Mac
- Free open-source communication apps for iPhone
- Free time management apps for Mac
- Free writing apps for Mac
Weekly newsletter
New tools and visual guides, every Monday.
One short email a week with the best new tools and websites, plus my latest visual guides. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Join the newsletterYou sign up on Gumroad, which stores your email to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy.