Français
Microsoft 365 billing keeps rising each year, the frustrating limitations of the free Teams version, and questions about the location of your professional data: these concerns constantly resurface in conversations with IT managers and SME leaders. After having supported several organisations in their transition to alternative collaborative tools, we notice that many still ignore the existence of high‑performance French solutions.
Twake Workplace is precisely that free alternative to Microsoft Teams that budget‑conscious and digitally sovereign companies are looking for. Developed in France, this platform offers all the features expected from a modern collaboration tool: instant messaging, video conferencing, document sharing and project management. All without the artificial limitations imposed by American giants to push premium subscriptions. Here’s what you need to know before making your choice.
Quick comparison between Twake‑Workplace and Microsoft Teams
| Twake-Workplace | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Open‑source collaborative suite published by LINAGORA | Proprietary collaborative tool published by Microsoft |
| Integrates messaging, storage, email and collaborative tools | Integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem |
| Built on the Matrix protocol for secure communication | Proprietary Microsoft infrastructure |
| Includes Twake‑chat, the instant‑messaging service | Integrated messaging and video‑conferencing |
| Includes Twake‑drive, secure file storage | Storage via OneDrive and SharePoint |
| Offers Twake‑mail, the secure email solution with JMAP, the modern mail protocol | Uses Exchange Online for email |
| Deployable in the cloud or on‑premise | Primarily Microsoft‑cloud oriented |
| Positioned as an open‑source alternative to Microsoft Teams | Dominant proprietary market solution |
Why choose Twake‑Workplace
A structured and coherent open‑source alternative
Twake‑Workplace is explicitly presented by its publisher as an open‑source alternative to Microsoft Teams. This open‑source dimension is not only technical; it addresses governance, transparency and technological independence issues.
Open‑source code enables auditability and adaptability. For organisations subject to strong compliance or digital‑sovereignty requirements, this approach is a strategic lever. Unlike closed environments, Twake‑Workplace’s architecture can be examined, adapted and integrated into controlled environments.
According to LINAGORA’s published information, Twake‑Workplace can be deployed in the cloud or on internal infrastructure. This flexibility meets the needs of public administrations, local authorities and companies that wish to retain control over their data.
Instant messaging based on open standards
At the heart of modern collaboration lies instant messaging. Twake-Workplace integrates Twake-chat instant messaging, based on the Matrix protocol for secure communication.
Matrix is an open protocol recognised for federation and encryption capabilities. This approach differs from proprietary solutions that rely on closed protocols. Using Matrix promotes interoperability and resilience—two key criteria in distributed environments.
Microsoft Teams also offers advanced messaging and video‑conferencing features, but its operation depends on Microsoft’s proprietary infrastructure. For organisations seeking an open and standardised ecosystem, Twake‑Workplace’s technology base is a distinctive advantage.
Secure, integrated storage
Document management is a central pillar of collaborative environments. Twake‑Workplace includes Twake‑drive a secure file‑storage service presented as a centralised space for sharing and managing documents.
In Microsoft’s environment, storage mainly relies on OneDrive and SharePoint, tightly integrated with Microsoft 365. While performant within a Microsoft‑aligned context, this reinforces dependence on a single vendor.
Twake‑drive, natively integrated into the suite, follows a logic of control and coherence. The solution aims to guarantee security, rights management and document centralisation within a managed environment.
Twake Workplace offers hosting in France on certified infrastructures. For organisations subject to GDPR or handling sensitive data, this distinction is significant. Public administrations, law firms and companies dealing with industrial secrets find in this French solution a response to their legal obligations.
Modernised email solution
Twake‑Workplace also provides Twake‑mail a secure email solution that integrates JMAP the modern mail protocol. JMAP is a standardised protocol designed to replace traditional IMAP and SMTP with a more efficient, contemporary approach.
Microsoft Teams relies on Exchange Online for email, robust and widely deployed, but remains embedded in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and on proprietary infrastructure.
Native integration of a modern protocol like JMAP in Twake‑Workplace demonstrates a commitment to open standards and evolving digital usage.
Overall coherence of the collaborative suite
Twake‑Workplace is not just a messaging tool; it is an integrated collaborative suite. Instant messaging, storage, email and collaborative tools are conceived as a coherent whole.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is deeply integrated into Microsoft 365—an advantage for companies already invested in that ecosystem, but potentially a constraint for those wishing to diversify their technology stack or avoid heavy vendor lock‑in.
The distinctive element of Twake‑Workplace therefore rests on a strategic perspective focused on openness, sovereignty and data control rather than merely on functional comparison.
Why use Microsoft Teams
Strong integration with Microsoft 365
Microsoft Teams benefits from native integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and SharePoint. For organisations already using Microsoft 365, this continuity can simplify adoption and daily management.
The solution offers advanced video‑conferencing, real‑time collaboration and third‑party app integration via a large catalogue.
Widely adopted solution
Microsoft Teams is massively deployed worldwide. This broad adoption facilitates interoperability in external exchanges, especially with partners or clients already equipped with the tool.
However, this dominant position is part of a proprietary model. Data and infrastructure are hosted within Microsoft’s environment, raising governance and dependency questions in certain regulatory or strategic contexts.
Limits regarding openness
Unlike an open‑source solution, Microsoft Teams does not provide access to source code nor deep architectural adaptation. Product evolution and direction depend exclusively on the vendor’s strategy.
For organisations with specific compliance, sovereignty or hybrid‑environment integration requirements, this dependence can be a hindrance.
Conclusion
The choice between Twake‑Workplace and Microsoft Teams depends on each organisation’s strategic context. Microsoft Teams offers strong integration within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enjoys significant global adoption.
However, Twake-Workplace stands out thanks to its positioning as an open source alternative to Microsoft Teams, its technological base based on the Matrix protocol for secure communication, the integration of Twake-chat instant messaging, Twake-drive secure file storage, and Twake-mail, a secure email solution using Jmap, the modern messaging protocol.
For organisations seeking a coherent, open, auditable and adaptable collaborative suite, Twake‑Workplace appears as a particularly relevant strategic option. Based on the information published by the respective vendors, it currently represents a structured alternative aligned with contemporary digital‑sovereignty and data‑control challenges.
