Macro Chat Review

Macro Chat provides channels and DMs where replies collapse into inline threads under the parent message rather than a side panel. Mentioning a doc or task in a message shares it with every channel member, and two-way links connect the item back to the conversation. A unified inbox merges channel @mentions, email, and task assignments into one filtered list, and an @Macro agent in each channel answers with full workspace context. Channels can be set to notify only on @mentions.

The hosted app at macro.com is the simple path, with Gmail or Google Workspace sign-in. To self-host, you run the entire Macro monorepo: a Docker Compose stack, a Nix dev shell, and docs/RUNNING_LOCALLY.md, with no hardware requirements listed in the README. The platform has around 42 services, so running only a chat app on it is heavy.

The design aims to reduce context switching: instead of pasting links between tools, you @mention the doc or task and it is shared and linked. The page claims deeper workspace integration than Slack or Teams, which is the project's own claim. We did not use it ourselves; this section reflects the README and OpenAlternative.

• Channels and DMs with inline threads
• @mention sharing of docs and tasks with all channel members
• Unified inbox for chat mentions, email, and task assignments
• @Macro agent in every channel with workspace context
• Per-channel notification controls

• Chat that is tied to tasks, docs, and email instead of sitting alongside them
• Open source under AGPL-3.0, with self-hosting possible
• Active development, with frequent releases

• Small ecosystem compared with Slack or Teams, with fewer apps and integrations
• Requires adopting the wider Macro suite, and self-hosting is heavy
• Sign-in is built around Gmail and Google Workspace
• No separate compliance or voice and video focus like Teams or Discord

Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0. Hosted Macro lists Free at $0 with limited AI and 5 GB of storage, Pro at $40/seat/month, and Max at $200/seat/month. Every team member needs a paid seat on team plans.

Slack and Microsoft Teams have huge app ecosystems and mature admin controls, and Discord is strong for communities and voice. Macro Chat is closer to a work-focused Slack with tight links to tasks and docs. If you want a pure, self-hostable chat server, tools such as Mattermost or Rocket.Chat are lighter, while Macro makes sense when you want chat and email in the same app.

• Small teams that want chat, email, docs, and tasks in one open-source workspace
• Teams that dislike pasting links between tools
• Organizations that want an AI agent with workspace context in every channel

• Large companies that depend on Slack or Teams integrations and admin controls
• Communities that need voice and video rooms
• Teams that only want a self-hosted chat server