Collaboration software covers the tools teams use to talk, share files, write documents and plan work together. Open-source options let you host the data yourself, avoid per-seat lock-in and customise the stack, which matters to teams with privacy or sovereignty requirements.
No single open-source product replaces a whole suite, so this page covers one strong pick per job: a files and groupware hub (Nextcloud), threaded chat (Zulip), video meetings (Jitsi Meet), project management (OpenProject, Taiga, Plane), wikis (BookStack) and encrypted docs (CryptPad). Each licence was checked on its repository.
Tools, licences and pricing checked against vendor and repository pages on November 7, 2026.
What to look for
•Which collaboration jobs it covers: chat, files, docs, tasks or video
Teams wanting a modern open-source Jira alternative
Free, open source (Community edition, self-hosted); paid cloud and commercial plans (see vendor pricing)
AGPL-3.0
1. Nextcloud
AGPL-3.0
Best for: Self-hosted file sharing and groupware · Free, open source (self-hosted); Enterprise subscriptions available (see vendor pricing)
Nextcloud is a self-hosted platform for file sync and sharing that extends to calendars, contacts, chat, video calls and document editing through apps. Organisations use it as a private alternative to cloud office suites.
Best for: Teams that struggle with noisy chat channels · Free, open source (self-hosted); hosted plans available (see vendor pricing)
Zulip is an open-source team chat application organised around topic-based threading within streams. It can be self-hosted or used as a hosted service.
Best for: Self-hosted video meetings · Free, open source
Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing application built on WebRTC. You can self-host it or use hosted Jitsi services, and it embeds into web apps.
Best for: Classic and agile project management · Free, open source (Community edition); paid Enterprise and cloud plans (see vendor pricing)
OpenProject is a web-based project management platform with Gantt charts, work packages, agile boards, time tracking and wikis. It is available self-hosted or as cloud service.
Best for: Internal documentation and wikis · Free, open source
BookStack is a self-hosted wiki platform that organises content into shelves, books, chapters and pages. It offers a WYSIWYG editor, search and role-based permissions.
Best for: Teams needing encrypted real-time docs · Free, open source (self-hosted); hosted instances available (see vendor pricing)
CryptPad is a privacy-focused collaboration suite with end-to-end encrypted documents, spreadsheets, kanban boards and forms. Content is encrypted in the browser so the server cannot read it.
Best for: Teams wanting a modern open-source Jira alternative · Free, open source (Community edition, self-hosted); paid cloud and commercial plans (see vendor pricing)
Plane is an open-source project and issue tracking tool with issues, cycles, modules and pages. It is positioned as an alternative to Jira and Linear and can be self-hosted.
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How to choose
If you need…
Start with
Private file sharing and groupware
Nextcloud
Slack-style chat with threads
Zulip
Self-hosted video calls
Jitsi Meet
Gantt plus agile project management
OpenProject
Modern issue tracker
Plane, Taiga
Wiki or encrypted docs
BookStack, CryptPad
Best Open-Source Collaboration Software: FAQ
Quick answers to common questions
Is there a free open-source alternative to Microsoft 365?
Nextcloud with its apps covers files, calendars and documents, and can be paired with Zulip and Jitsi for chat and video.
Is self-hosted collaboration software cheaper?
The software is free, but you pay for servers, backups, security and admin time. It suits teams with strong operations skills or data-sovereignty needs.
Which open-source tool replaces Slack?
Zulip is a mature option. Matrix-based servers are another route, covered on our self-hosted Matrix page.
Does AGPL affect my internal use?
Using AGPL software internally generally does not require sharing code. Obligations arise when you modify and offer it to others over a network, so check with legal counsel.
