Rocket.Chat Desktop

Rocket.Chat Desktop is the official Windows application for Rocket.Chat, an open-source communications platform that organisations deploy on their own infrastructure. The desktop client is MIT licensed and acts as a focused shell for one or more Rocket.Chat workspaces, so daily chat does not live in a browser tab that gets closed by accident. It is a common choice where data residency, customisation or an on-premises requirement rules out a hosted messenger.

What it does

The client presents each workspace in its own tab with channels, private groups, direct messages and threaded replies. File uploads support drag and drop, message search covers the conversations you can access, and the omnichannel features of the server, such as live chat and shared inboxes, appear in the same interface for support teams. Video calls, screen sharing and audio conferencing are available when the Jitsi or BigBlueButton integration is configured on the server. Apps from the Rocket.Chat marketplace add bridges to other networks, bots and workflow automation, and the client renders all of it without extra installation.

The workflow

Install the app, then add a workspace by entering its server URL and signing in. Authentication can be username and password, or single sign-on through SAML, OAuth or LDAP configured on the server. After login, the layout offers a workspace switcher in the sidebar, a channel list, and the active conversation, with a right-hand panel for threads and file details. Preferences cover notification behaviour, badge counters, spell checking and whether the window closes to the system tray. Managing several workspaces is a matter of adding them once and switching tabs afterwards, each retaining its own session.

Practical settings and limits

The desktop application is only the client half of the product: you need a Rocket.Chat server, either self-hosted or from a hosting provider, and someone must maintain it. Feature availability, including calls and screen sharing, depends on server version, plan and enabled integrations rather than on the desktop build. Because it wraps the web interface, memory use is comparable to a browser tab per workspace, and very busy servers with large file histories can be slow to search. Local message history is not stored, so nothing is readable while the server is unreachable.

Who should choose something else

Teams that want zero infrastructure work should use a hosted messenger rather than deploying a server for this client. If your organisation has standardised on a different open-source platform and already runs its server, the matching client is the better fit. For occasional video meetings with people outside the organisation, a dedicated meeting client remains easier than configuring server-side call integrations.