Who Prose is for#
Decentralized workplace chat
Prose fits teams that want work messaging on an open protocol foundation.
Skip if:
Your company relies heavily on Slack's marketplace and enterprise admin features.
Protocol-aligned community messaging
Communities can use Prose when XMPP compatibility and data ownership matter.
Skip if:
Your users expect a hosted consumer chat app with no setup decisions.
The problem it solves#
Workplace chat is critical infrastructure, but most teams rent it from a single proprietary vendor. That creates lock-in around accounts, message history, integrations, pricing, and data residency.
XMPP offers a federated messaging foundation, but many XMPP clients feel built for hobbyist chat rather than workplace collaboration. Prose aims to bring a modern team-communication experience to that open protocol base.
How it solves it#
XMPP-based communication
Prose builds on an open messaging protocol instead of inventing a closed workplace chat network.
Secure team messaging
The product focuses on private team communication, including chat history and file-sharing workflows.
Workplace collaboration features
Search, integrations, and team-oriented messaging features help position Prose beyond a basic chat client.
Strengths and trade-offs#
Strengths
- Open messaging protocolProse is strongest for teams that want workplace chat without depending entirely on a proprietary messaging network.
- Modern XMPP directionThe project gives XMPP a more polished team-collaboration framing than many traditional clients.
Trade-offs
- -Adoption depends on ecosystem fitTeams should verify hosting, federation, mobile clients, integrations, and migration requirements before replacing Slack or Discord.
What it's built on#
- Languages
- RustTypeScript
- Frameworks
- Vue
FAQ#
What is Prose?
Prose is an open workplace communication tool built on the XMPP messaging protocol.
Is Prose a Slack alternative?
Yes. Prose is relevant for teams that want workplace chat with a more open, decentralized foundation.
Who should consider Prose?
Prose is best for teams and communities that value open messaging protocols and control over communication infrastructure.
Similar open-source tools#
Adapt
Lightweight self-hosted messaging platform for teams
SpacebarChat
Free open source Discord reimplementation with full API parity
Rocket.Chat
Self-hosted team chat with voice, video, and omnichannel support
Converse.js
Self-hosted web-based XMPP chat client for any server
Revolt
Self-hosted open source Discord alternative with servers
Matrix
Open protocol for secure, decentralized messaging and VoIP