Fourwaves
Fourwaves follows its participant inbox with a week of admin fixes and security hardening.
Comparison · Meetings
Lark vs Nextcloud Talk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Lark and Nextcloud Talk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Lark vs Nextcloud Talk: at a glance
What is Lark?
Lark concentrates monthly updates on Base — automation branching, mobile dashboards, layout reset — while the collaboration suite holds steady.
Lark's monthly update cadence is centered on Lark Base, the suite's no-code data tool. V7.65 adds advanced formatting and branch settings to Base automations; V7.64 makes dashboard charts interactive on the mobile app; V7.62 ships one-click reset for custom Base record detail page layouts; V7.63 introduces AHA PC Doctor as an in-app self-service troubleshooter. V7.60 polishes image highlights in comments and V7.59 expands message-sending options in Base automated workflows.
What is Nextcloud Talk?
Nextcloud Talk patches v22 and v23 while v25 stable sits five weeks past its last RC.
Nextcloud Talk's newest releases are maintenance drops for the v22 and v23 branches: a faster conversation-list unread cache, rate limiting on public-share and video verification, and a Matterbridge domain check against DNS rebinding. v23.0.12 also fixes SIP so direct incoming calls register as phone participants. The v25 line, which carries classified conversations, an owner role and configurable AI call summaries, has not moved past RC3 since September 10.
Lark vs Nextcloud Talk: editorial side-by-side
Lark
0.0MEETINGS
Lark concentrates monthly updates on Base — automation branching, mobile dashboards, layout reset — while the collaboration suite holds steady.
◆ Current state
Lark's monthly update cadence is centered on Lark Base, the suite's no-code data tool. V7.65 adds advanced formatting and branch settings to Base automations; V7.64 makes dashboard charts interactive on the mobile app; V7.62 ships one-click reset for custom Base record detail page layouts; V7.63 introduces AHA PC Doctor as an in-app self-service troubleshooter. V7.60 polishes image highlights in comments and V7.59 expands message-sending options in Base automated workflows.
◆ Where it's heading
Lark is investing heavily in Base's automation depth and admin ergonomics — branch settings, granular automation triggers, mobile-first dashboard interaction, layout management. Earlier versions in the index (V7.51 AI in Base, V7.55 new workspaces, V7.58 condition-group permissions) confirm Base as the consistent center of feature work. The broader collaboration suite (chat, docs, calendar) is held steady while Base evolves.
◆ Prediction
Expect more agentic AI inside Base (extending the V7.51 thread), continued mobile parity with desktop dashboards, and deeper automation features — multi-step branching with conditions, more third-party connectors. Self-service support (PC Doctor) is likely to expand to mobile and Mac.
Nextcloud Talk
5.0MEETINGS
Nextcloud Talk patches v22 and v23 while v25 stable sits five weeks past its last RC.
◆ Current state
Nextcloud Talk's newest releases are maintenance drops for the v22 and v23 branches: a faster conversation-list unread cache, rate limiting on public-share and video verification, and a Matterbridge domain check against DNS rebinding. v23.0.12 also fixes SIP so direct incoming calls register as phone participants. The v25 line, which carries classified conversations, an owner role and configurable AI call summaries, has not moved past RC3 since September 10.
◆ Where it's heading
The feature story is still v25's compliance and governance set aimed at regulated, self-hosted deployments. Meanwhile the older branches are getting security hardening rather than features, which fits a team prioritizing stable-line safety before a major cut. The long gap after RC3 suggests the v25 release is gated on something not visible in these notes.
◆ Prediction
The next notable release is v25.0.0 stable or a further RC; the entries don't show why it has stalled, so timing is unclear.
Alternatives to Lark and Nextcloud Talk
Other Meetings 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 Lark or Nextcloud Talk.
HOMER
HOMER 11.0.369 fixes S3 auth on Ceph-based storage and stops compaction memory growth.
Element Call
Element Call starts moving to new LiveKit transports and falls back to remote SFUs when needed.
JW Player
JW Player moves CMAF VOD into the dashboard, adds AV1, and opens Broadcast Live to audio-only feeds.
rtpengine
rtpengine opens the mr26.3 branch with a rollback message and leaner call state.
Nextcloud Talk Desktop
Nextcloud Talk Desktop 2.3.3 adds accessibility options and bundles Talk v25.0.6.
See all Lark alternatives → · See all Nextcloud Talk alternatives →
Recent activity from Lark and Nextcloud Talk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 14d agoNextcloud Talkv23.0.12: SIP call fix, rate limiting, Matterbridge hardening
- 14d agoNextcloud Talkv22.0.19: share-auth rate limiting and Matterbridge fix
- 1mo agoNextcloud TalkNextcloud Talk v25.0.0 RC3: file preview fixes
- 1mo agoNextcloud Talkv23.0.11
- 1mo agoNextcloud Talkv22.0.18
- 1mo agoNextcloud Talkv25.0.0 RC2: configurable AI call summary prompts
- 6mo agoLark• V7.65 More advanced formatting and branch settings for Base automations!
- 7mo agoLark• V7.64 Interact with dashboard charts on the mobile app!
- 7mo agoLark• V7.62 Reset layout for custom Base record details pages in one click
- 7mo agoLark• V7.63 AHA PC Doctor is now available to help you resolve common issues easily!
- 9mo agoLark• V7.60 Eliminate confusion with image highlights in comments!
- 9mo agoLark• V7.59 More advanced options for sending messages using automated workflows in Base
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Lark and Nextcloud Talk?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Nextcloud Talk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 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 Lark better than Nextcloud Talk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Nextcloud Talk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Lark?
Top Lark alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Lark alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/lark for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Nextcloud Talk?
Top Nextcloud Talk alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Nextcloud Talk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/nextcloud-talk for the full list with editorial commentary on each.