Franz
by Franz
What Franz is
Franz combines messaging services, email, and Signal in a desktop workspace for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports services such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zoho Cliq, Twist, Chatwork, Zulip, Cisco Webex Teams, Yammer, Element, and Nextcloud Talk. Users can arrange services into workspaces, keep separate accounts active, view two services side by side, and turn messages into tasks with a built-in manager.
Franz Mail offers priority inbox features, sender intelligence, and local search, while Google, Microsoft, and Apple calendars can be viewed together. Franz says messages and local insights remain on the device, credentials are encrypted in the OS keychain, and it does not sell user data. Optional AI text is sent to Mistral AI in Paris for inference; prompts and responses are not retained beyond delivering the response, and AI can be disabled in settings. Starter is free with up to three services and one workspace. Pro costs $60 a year, and Max costs $120 a year. Franz was founded in Vienna in 2016.
Who it suits
Franz suits consultants, recruiters, founders, and operators who handle client and team chats alongside email. Its service grouping, side-by-side view, task manager, and privacy-sensitive conversation features support people managing several communication channels.
What it does well
- Combines messaging services, email, and Signal in one desktop workspace.
- Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Lets users group services and keep separate accounts active.
- Franz Mail includes priority inbox features and local search.
- Can show Google, Microsoft, and Apple calendars together.
What to know first
- Starter is limited to three services and one workspace.
- Free users may encounter a brief loading pause once per hour.
- Voice dictation requires Pro, macOS 26 or later, and Apple Silicon.
- Franz does not promise enterprise SLAs or a five-person account team.
Limits
Starter includes up to three services and one workspace, and free users may experience a brief loading pause once per hour. Pro costs $60 a year for unlimited services and workspaces; Max costs $120 a year and adds 5M AI tokens per month and 50 web-research runs/month.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free · 3 messaging services · 1 workspace · local AI | Free |
| Max | $120 / year · Unlimited services and workspaces · Franz Cloud AI with 5M tokens/month · 50 research runs/month · smart snippets · sender intelligence | $120 a year |
| Franz Lifetime | One-time payment; founder price, limited launch · One license per person for all devices · unlimited services and workspaces · own supported model · future updates included · optional Franz Cloud AI for $4/month | $199, paid once |
| Pro | $60 / year · Unlimited services and workspaces · BYO model or local AI · Smart Translate · Privacy Shield · app lock · plain snippets | $60 a year |
As meetfranz.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit https://meetfranz.com/.
- Choose Linux, macOS, or Windows.
- Start with the free Starter plan or choose a paid plan.
- Use the 14-day trial if you want to try a paid plan.
Verdict
Choose Franz if you want to bring multiple chat services, email, and calendars into a desktop workspace, with task and account organization features. Look elsewhere if you need enterprise SLAs or a dedicated five-person account team; Starter is also limited to three services and one workspace.
Questions
Is Franz free?
Yes. Starter is free and includes up to three services and one workspace.
What do the paid plans cost?
Pro costs $60 a year, billed annually. Max costs $120 a year, billed annually.
Which platforms does Franz support?
Franz runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Which services does it integrate with?
Listed services include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zoho Cliq, Twist, Chatwork, Zulip, Cisco Webex Teams, Yammer, Element, and Nextcloud Talk.
How does Franz handle AI text and privacy?
Optional AI text is sent to Mistral AI in Paris for inference, and prompts and responses are not retained beyond delivering the response. Users can disable AI in settings; Franz says credentials are encrypted in the OS keychain and messages and local insights stay on the device.
Who makes Franz?
Franz was founded in Vienna, Austria, in 2016.
Facts from Franz's own pages
- AI data handling
- The privacy statement says optional AI text is sent to Mistral AI in Paris for inference, prompts and responses are not retained beyond delivering the response, and users can disable AI in settings. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Audience
- Franz says it is built for consultants, recruiters, founders, and operators handling client chat, team chat, email, and privacy-sensitive conversations. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Channels
- Yes · meetfranz.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Email and calendar
- Franz Mail offers priority inbox features, sender intelligence, and local search; Franz also shows Google, Microsoft, and Apple calendars together. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2016 · meetfranz.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · meetfranz.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Free plan limit
- Starter includes up to 3 services and 1 workspace, and free users may experience a brief loading pause once per hour. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Vienna, Austria · meetfranz.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- Franz lists 75+ supported services, including WhatsApp, Slack, Gmail, Signal, Discord, and Telegram, and lets users add any website as a custom service. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Maker background
- Franz says it started in Vienna in 2016 and identifies Stefan Malzner as its founder. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- macOS,Windows,Linux · meetfranz.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Privacy
- Franz says messages and local insights stay on the device, credentials are encrypted in the OS keychain, and it does not sell user data. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Franz combines messaging services, email, and Signal in one desktop workspace. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- Franz says external-service credentials are not stored on its servers, native-service tokens and message caches are encrypted locally, and traffic to Google APIs and Franz services uses TLS 1.2 or higher. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Signal and WhatsApp
- The FAQ says WhatsApp runs as a webview and Signal is a native sub-app; both support AI summaries, voice-message transcription, action items, group intelligence, and smart replies. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Paid from
- 5 · meetfranz.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Support and service commitment
- The founder says Franz does not promise enterprise SLAs or a five-person account team. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Team licensing
- Each license covers one person across their own devices; shared logins between several people are not allowed, and Franz for Teams provides centralized billing. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Voice dictation limit
- Voice dictation requires Franz Pro, macOS 26 or later, and an Apple Silicon Mac; recognition runs on the Mac. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Workspace features
- Users can group services into workspaces, view two services side by side, keep separate accounts active, and turn messages into tasks with a built-in manager. · meetfranz.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Franz stands on Freedom251
- Email clients#37 of 142
- Team chat apps#24 of 63