Stackfield

What Is Stackfield?

Every organisation that handles sensitive information — legal documents, financial data, patient records, government communications — faces the same dilemma when choosing collaboration tools. Slack and Microsoft Teams dominate the market, but neither offers end-to-end encryption on messages, files, or video calls. That gap is precisely where Stackfield operates.

Founded in Munich in 2012 by Cristian Mudure, Stackfield GmbH built its entire platform around a single premise: collaboration should not require surrendering data access to the vendor. The platform applies AES-256 end-to-end encryption to every message, task, file, discussion, and video call. Not even Stackfield's own administrators can decrypt user content — a technical guarantee, not a policy promise.

The company has grown to serve over 10,000 organisations, including Audi, Porsche, and various German public-sector agencies. A growth investment from Munich-based Nordwind Growth in 2024 brought a double-digit million euro sum to accelerate development. Stackfield holds ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 certifications and stores all data exclusively in German data centres.

Key Features

End-to-End Encryption as Default

Stackfield does not offer encryption as a premium add-on or an opt-in toggle. Every piece of content — messages, tasks, files, video calls, whiteboards — is encrypted client-side before it reaches Stackfield's servers. The encryption keys are managed per room and are never transmitted to Stackfield. This architecture means a server breach would yield only encrypted data with no decryption path. For organisations in regulated industries, this eliminates an entire category of data protection risk.

All-in-One Workspace

Rather than stitching together separate tools for chat, project management, video conferencing, and file storage, Stackfield bundles them under one encrypted roof. Team chat supports channels, threads, and direct messages. Task management includes Kanban boards, Gantt charts for timeline planning, and built-in time tracking. Video conferencing handles screen sharing and multi-participant calls. File sharing supports collaborative document editing. The combined cost often undercuts the sum of individual Slack, Asana, and Zoom subscriptions — with stronger security.

Gantt Charts and Time Tracking

The Premium tier adds Gantt chart project planning alongside task-level time tracking. Teams can visualise project timelines, set dependencies between tasks, and track hours spent without leaving the encrypted environment. While dedicated project management tools like Asana or Monday.com offer more granular controls, Stackfield's integrated approach eliminates the security risk of syncing sensitive project data across multiple platforms.

On-Premise Deployment

For organisations with the strictest data residency requirements — defence contractors, government agencies, financial institutions — Stackfield offers an on-premise deployment option. This puts the entire infrastructure under the customer's physical control, with Stackfield providing the software licence and support. Few collaboration platforms in this market segment offer genuine self-hosting.

Mobile and Desktop Parity

Stackfield provides native apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, alongside a web interface. The mobile apps maintain full encryption and feature access, including task management, file sharing, and chat. Global search spans all content types across rooms, making it straightforward to find information regardless of which device it was created on.

Pricing

Stackfield's pricing starts at EUR 14 per user per month for the Business plan, which includes team chat, tasks, Kanban boards, video conferencing, file sharing, and full end-to-end encryption. The Premium plan at EUR 18 per user per month adds Gantt charts, time tracking, custom roles, and advanced reporting. Enterprise pricing runs EUR 28 per user per month and includes SSO/SAML integration, dedicated onboarding, and priority support.

All plans require a minimum of 5 users, which prices out freelancers and micro-teams. A 14-day free trial is available across all tiers. Annual billing offers discounts over monthly payments.

For context, combining Slack Standard (EUR 7.25/user), Asana Premium (EUR 10.99/user), and a basic video tool would exceed Stackfield's Business tier — without the encryption guarantee. The value proposition strengthens for teams that genuinely need security, but weakens for those who primarily need a chat tool with a large integration ecosystem.

EU Compliance & Privacy

Stackfield's compliance posture is among the strongest in the collaboration tool market. The company is a German GmbH subject to GDPR by default. All data is stored in German data centres — no replication to US or non-EU facilities. The ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 certifications cover information security management, cloud-specific controls, and protection of personally identifiable information respectively.

The end-to-end encryption architecture provides technical enforcement of privacy. Unlike tools that rely on at-rest and in-transit encryption (where the provider holds decryption keys), Stackfield's client-side encryption means the company has zero access to user content. For Data Protection Impact Assessments, this substantially simplifies the risk profile.

The on-premise option adds a further layer for organisations that must demonstrate complete infrastructure sovereignty.

Who It's Best For

Regulated-industry teams in legal, financial, healthcare, or government sectors that handle sensitive data and face strict compliance requirements. The triple ISO certification and E2E encryption provide the documentation that auditors and DPOs need.

German and DACH-region organisations with data residency requirements mandating that data stays within German borders. The combination of German hosting, German company, and end-to-end encryption is difficult to match.

Mid-size companies (50-500 employees) looking to consolidate multiple collaboration tools into one secure platform. The all-in-one approach reduces both costs and attack surface.

Security-conscious teams that have outgrown consumer-grade chat tools and need verifiable encryption without the complexity of self-hosted alternatives like Element/Matrix.

The Verdict

Stackfield delivers on its core promise: genuinely encrypted collaboration without sacrificing usability. The all-in-one approach works well for teams that prioritise security and want to reduce tool sprawl. The ISO certifications and German data hosting make compliance straightforward. But the limited integration ecosystem remains a real constraint — teams dependent on deep Slack or Teams integrations will feel the gap. The minimum 5-user requirement and absence of a free tier also raise the barrier for smaller teams exploring alternatives. For organisations where data sovereignty outweighs ecosystem breadth, Stackfield is a compelling choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stackfield GDPR compliant?

Yes. Stackfield is a German GmbH storing all data exclusively in German data centres. End-to-end AES-256 encryption ensures even Stackfield employees cannot access user content. The platform holds ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 certifications, and the encryption architecture technically enforces data protection beyond policy-level commitments.

Can Stackfield be self-hosted on-premise?

Yes. Stackfield offers an on-premise deployment for organisations requiring complete infrastructure control. This option is available as a separate pricing tier with dedicated support and is typically used by government agencies, defence contractors, and financial institutions with strict data sovereignty requirements.

How does Stackfield compare to Slack?

Stackfield combines chat, task management, Gantt charts, video calls, and file sharing in one encrypted platform. Slack focuses on messaging with a massive integration marketplace of over 2,600 apps. Stackfield offers end-to-end encryption by default, which Slack does not provide. However, Slack's ecosystem and third-party integrations are significantly more extensive.

Does Stackfield offer a free plan?

No. Stackfield provides a 14-day free trial but no permanent free tier. Paid plans start at EUR 14 per user per month on the Business tier, with a minimum of 5 users required.

Where is Stackfield data stored?

All data is stored exclusively in data centres located in Germany. The end-to-end encryption means data is encrypted on the user's device before transmission, and decryption keys are never sent to Stackfield's servers. Even in the event of a server compromise, user data remains encrypted and inaccessible.