Why teams switch from Slack to Chativa — self-hosted, end-to-end encrypted, one-time cost, and zero data on third-party servers. Here's the full picture.
| Feature | Chativa | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted (your server) | Slack's cloud only |
| Pricing model | One-time $79 (Pro) or Free | $7.25–$12.50/user/month |
| Cost for 20 users / year | $79 total (once) | $1,740–$3,000/year |
| End-to-end encryption (E2EE) | ✓ Full E2EE | ✗ Encrypted in transit only |
| Data ownership | ✓ 100% yours | ✗ Stored on Slack servers |
| GDPR compliance | ✓ Full control, EU-ready | Partial (US-based servers) |
| White-label / custom branding | ✓ Full white-label (Pro) | ✗ Not available |
| Embeddable chat widget | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Not available |
| AI assistant | ✓ Gemini AI (bring your key) | Slack AI (+$10/user/month) |
| HD video calls | ✓ WebRTC, no relay | ✓ Huddles (cloud relay) |
| Offline / air-gapped use | ✓ Fully offline capable | ✗ Requires internet |
| Unlimited message history | ✓ On your server | 90 days (free plan) |
| Per-seat fees | ✓ None — unlimited users | ✗ Per user, per month |
| Open source | ✓ Free Edition on GitHub | ✗ Proprietary |
With Slack, every message, file and call goes through Salesforce's infrastructure. With Chativa, your private team communication never leaves your network. No data mining. No third-party access. Ever.
Slack charges per user, per month. A 20-person team pays $1,740–$3,000 per year. Chativa Pro costs $79 once. That's it. No renewals, no price hikes, no surprise invoices. The only one time payment chat software that makes financial sense.
Slack encrypts data in transit and at rest — but Slack can read your messages. Chativa uses E2EE chat software architecture: only the sender and recipient can decrypt content. Not even your server admin can read it.
Storing EU employee data on US-based Slack servers creates legal exposure. Chativa lets you deploy in your own EU datacenter or on-premise. Full data residency control — the simplest path to being a GDPR compliant messenger.
Slack is Slack — you can't rebrand it. Chativa Pro gives you full white label chat widget rights: your logo, your colors, your domain. Plus an embeddable widget to chat with website visitors directly.
We believe in transparency. Slack is a better fit if:
For everyone else — especially teams that care about privacy, budget, and data ownership — Chativa is the stronger choice.
Deploy Chativa on your own server today. One-time payment, unlimited users, full E2EE and GDPR compliance — out of the box.