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COMPARE
Dock: the Zoom alternative you host yourself
- Chat next to the call. The conversation lives in the same place as the meeting.
- No per-seat fee. Calls cost your server and a media-server allowance.
- Docs and tasks. Follow-ups stay in one workspace.
- All in one workspace. Chat, meetings, docs, Base, calendar, tasks, drive and AI agents together.
- Honest limits. Where Zoom is stronger, the table says so.
Why choose Dock over Zoom
| Detailed comparison |  Dock | Zoom |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and limits | ||
| Price per user | No per-seat fee. Free to self-host; you pay your own server (about $20/month, estimate) | Basic free; Pro $14.16 annual ($16.99 monthly); Business $18.33 annual ($21.99 monthly); Enterprise contact sales |
| Where it runs | Your server. One Node process, one SQLite file | Vendor cloud |
| Meetings | ||
| Meeting size | ✓Peer to peer for small calls; larger rooms with a LiveKit server | Basic and Pro 100 participants; Business 300; Enterprise up to 1,000 (plan card) |
| Meeting length | Set by your server and media-server plan | Basic 40 minutes; paid plans 30 hours |
| Cloud recording | ✗Not built | ✓Pro and Business 10 GB per licence; Enterprise unlimited |
| Webinars and large events | ✗Not built | ✓Yes (add-on products) |
| Team workspace | ||
| Team chat | ✓Full messenger: channels, DMs, threads, search | ✓Team Chat included on paid plans |
| Docs, tables, tasks, drive | ✓Yes | Limited |
| AI and automation | ||
| AI agents in your workspace | ✓MCP server and bot API: connect Claude, Codex, Cursor and more | AI Companion (check Zoom for what each plan includes) |
| Security and data | ||
| You own and can move your data | ✓One SQLite file you can back up and move | ✗Vendor-hosted |
Zoom figures are from Zoom's public pricing page, viewed 14 October 2026. Plans change: check the vendor for current details.
Zoom plans, side by side with Dock
Self-hosted
Dock
$0
no per-seat fee, plus your own server (about $20/month, estimate)- Chat, meetings, docs, Base, calendar, tasks, drive
- Bots, API and MCP server for AI agents
- Admin console, 2-step login, audit log
- No seat cap from us
Zoom Basic
Free
- 40-minute meetings
- 100 participants
- Local recording
- Instant messaging
Zoom Pro
$14.16
per user / month, annual ($16.99 monthly)- 30-hour meetings, 100 participants
- 10 GB cloud recording per licence
- Team Chat included
Zoom Business
$18.33
per user / month, annual ($21.99 monthly)- 300 participants
- 10 GB cloud recording per licence
- Team Chat included
Zoom Enterprise
Contact sales
- Up to 1,000 participants (plan card)
- Unlimited cloud recording
- Team Chat included
Zoom figures are from Zoom's public pricing page, viewed 14 October 2026. Plans change: check the vendor for current details.
See how much you could save
150250500
YOU PAY TODAY
$0per monthWITH DOCK
$20per month, your serverSaves $0 / year
Estimate from the numbers you enter. Nothing is sent anywhere. Excludes migration time. Zoom Business annual price ($18.33 per user per month) is pre-filled; edit it to match your plan.All-in-one, self-hosted
Dock
Messenger
Meetings
Docs
Wiki
Base
Calendar
Tasks
Drive
Bots & MCPVS
ZoomMeetingsTeam ChatPhoneWebinarsWhiteboardMail & Calendar
See Dock in action
Real screenshots of Dock with a fictional team.
Who should choose which
Choose Dock if: Teams whose calls are working sessions inside a chat workspace, not events.
Choose Zoom if the stronger points in the table are what you need. Product details change, so check Zoom's current plans and documentation before you decide.
Questions
Can I record meetings?
Not yet.
Is Dock cheaper than Zoom?
Dock has no per-seat fee; you pay for your own server. Whether that is cheaper depends on your team size and what you pay Zoom. Use the savings calculator above with your own prices.