Rspamd
Rspamd 4.3 fixes SPF evaluation order and rejects weak DKIM keys, with results that change.
Comparison · Comms
Converse.js vs Slack
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Converse.js and Slack — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Converse.js vs Slack: at a glance
What is Converse.js?
Converse.js 14.0.1 fixes OMEMO:2 group decryption broken by Chromium 153.
Converse.js shipped 14.0.0 in June with OMEMO:2, the current revision of XMPP's end-to-end encryption, plus fixes that make encryption state and errors visible. 14.0.1 in October fixes OMEMO:2 group messages that stopped decrypting in Chromium 153, a bug that also skipped a sender check.
What is Slack?
Slack now hosts any A2A agent without Slack-specific code.
Slack's developer channel is almost all agent plumbing. On 10 November Slack became an A2A (Agent2Agent) client: a team hosts its own agent, publishes an Agent Card, and Slack calls it when people talk to it, with no request URL, event handling or Slack-specific logic. This follows Slackbot skills managed through Web API methods, a Slack CLI that points coding agents to the Slack MCP server, and a new requirement that Work Objects embeds allow the slack-mcps.com frame ancestor.
Converse.js vs Slack: editorial side-by-side
Converse.js
2.5COMMS
Converse.js 14.0.1 fixes OMEMO:2 group decryption broken by Chromium 153.
◆ Current state
Converse.js shipped 14.0.0 in June with OMEMO:2, the current revision of XMPP's end-to-end encryption, plus fixes that make encryption state and errors visible. 14.0.1 in October fixes OMEMO:2 group messages that stopped decrypting in Chromium 153, a bug that also skipped a sender check.
◆ Where it's heading
The project is in a stabilisation phase on the 14 line, with encryption correctness as the main concern. Releases are months apart.
◆ Prediction
Expect further 14.0.x patches for encryption and browser compatibility; no next major is signalled.
Slack
6.3COMMSCOLLAB
Slack now hosts any A2A agent without Slack-specific code.
◆ Current state
Slack's developer channel is almost all agent plumbing. On 10 November Slack became an A2A (Agent2Agent) client: a team hosts its own agent, publishes an Agent Card, and Slack calls it when people talk to it, with no request URL, event handling or Slack-specific logic. This follows Slackbot skills managed through Web API methods, a Slack CLI that points coding agents to the Slack MCP server, and a new requirement that Work Objects embeds allow the slack-mcps.com frame ancestor.
◆ Where it's heading
Slack is lowering the cost of putting outside agents in front of its users: first skills as code, then MCP pointers for coding agents, now a standard protocol in place of the Slack app model for agents. The platform is positioning itself as the place where agents built anywhere meet the people who use them.
◆ Prediction
Expect more A2A follow-ups, such as agents appearing in Slackbot or skills surfaces and richer Agent Card features, given how fast the agent releases have stacked up since October.
Alternatives to Converse.js and Slack
Other Comms products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Converse.js or Slack.
Twilio
Twilio's voice AI stops cutting callers off mid-sentence, using its own turn-taking model.
Salesmsg
Salesmsg adds call-back requests and a one-click Emergency Stop for all outbound texts.
Element
Element 1.12.35 follows the call picture-in-picture release with one desktop storage fix.
Krisp
Krisp moves call transcripts and live captions to cloud transcription in KrispCX 2.84.4.
Misskey
Misskey 2026.11 ships: a leaner start script, and Node.js 22 no longer boots.
See all Converse.js alternatives → · See all Slack alternatives →
Recent activity from Converse.js and Slack
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4d agoSlackBring your A2A agents to Slack ⚡
- 8d agoSlackWork Objects embeds require the slack-mcps.com frame ancestor
- 10d agoSlackSlack CLI 4.13 tells coding agents about Slack MCP and Skills
- 10d agoSlackSlack Skills Plugin installs in Claude Code from its own marketplace
- 12d agoSlackUpdated low-usage submission criteria for Slack Marketplace apps
- 15d agoSlackSlack CLI 4.12.0, the fourth CLI release in October
- 27d agoConverse.jsRelease 14.0.1 (2026-10-17)
- 4mo agoConverse.jsOMEMO:2 encryption support ships in Converse 14 ⚡
- 4mo agoConverse.jsOMEMO bundle self-healing and new PubSub API methods
- 4mo agoConverse.jslibomemo.js dependency bump
- 4mo agoConverse.jsclient-compress replaced with native browser APIs
- 4mo agoConverse.jsFirst beta carrying the OMEMO usability fixes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Converse.js and Slack?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Slack is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Converse.js better than Slack?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Slack is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Converse.js?
Top Converse.js alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Converse.js alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/converse-js for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Slack?
Top Slack alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Slack alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/slack for the full list with editorial commentary on each.