Mattermost Desktop

Mattermost Desktop is the official Windows client for Mattermost, an open-source messaging platform designed to be deployed on your own servers. The desktop application wraps one or more Mattermost server connections in a native window, so a team can keep chat, file sharing and incident coordination on infrastructure it administers rather than on a vendor's cloud. The client is published under the Apache License 2.0 and the server editions follow the same permissive model for the free tiers.

What it does

The client connects to any number of Mattermost servers and shows their channels, direct messages and threads in a unified sidebar with unread badges. It supports drag-and-drop file uploads, message search across channels you belong to, code block formatting that developers expect in incident channels, emoji reactions, and keyboard shortcuts for quick channel switching. Playbooks and integrations built into the server, such as incoming webhooks, slash commands and bot accounts, surface in the same window. Voice calls are available when the server administrator enables the calls plugin, and screen sharing is provided through that plugin rather than the client itself.

The workflow

Install the client and add a server by entering its URL. You then sign in with the credentials your server administrator issued; single sign-on through SAML or OAuth is configured server-side, and the desktop client simply follows the browser flow. Once connected, the app behaves like any modern team messenger: channels on the left, the conversation in the centre, threads in a right-hand pane. Settings cover notification preferences per server, a tray icon with unread counts, spell check, and the option to launch at login. Multiple server tabs are one click apart, which is handy for consultants or administrators who look after more than one deployment.

Practical settings and limits

This client is useless without a server: there is no public Mattermost network to join, so someone must install and run the server software or subscribe to a hosted offering. The desktop app itself is a thin shell around the web interface, so it inherits the server's performance characteristics, and very large servers can feel sluggish in long channels. Features such as calls, screen sharing, compliance export and advanced permissions depend on the server edition and installed plugins, not on the client. Finally, self-hosting means someone owns upgrades, backups and TLS certificates.

Who should choose something else

If nobody on the team wants to operate a server, a hosted messenger is the pragmatic choice. Organisations that need a vendor-managed compliance suite, or that want chat bundled with documents and calendars, should evaluate a full collaboration suite instead. Anyone who only needs occasional group calls will find a dedicated meeting tool simpler than running a messaging server for the sake of it.