Last checked October 15, 2026
Element
Element is the best-known Matrix client. Rooms can be end-to-end encrypted and can federate across servers. It is a standards-based chat network, not a Slack skin.
Open sourceApache-2.0Privacy-consciousDevelopersEnterprises
MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidWebSelf-host
Free tier
You can use the public matrix.org homeserver or host your own. Element also sells hosted and enterprise Matrix.
Hosted
No hosted price recorded.
Self-host
Hard. A Synapse or Dendrite homeserver plus Element Web is a real ops project. Federation and push are the parts that take time.
Drop-in scores
Sources checked
https://ditchly.co/software/element