Delta Chat vs Element (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Delta Chat grades higher than Element: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Delta Chat grades higher on value for money and ease of use. Element grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Delta Chat if
- Fits if you want a free private messenger that works across phones and desktops
- Works for friends or families who would rather not use a phone number
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want team channels or an admin console, as there are none
- Skip it if you want paid support, since funding is by donations
- Watch out: minimum systems apply, including Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10
- Too light for workplace chat, with no workspace structure
Pick Element if
- Fits if you want a free encrypted messenger for yourself or a community
- Works for governments and regulated organizations that must keep chat on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want someone else to host your company's chat, as no Element-hosted plan is listed
- Not for you if you need to see a price before talking to sales, because none is published
- Tight if you hoped to run a business on the free server, which covers 100 users and isn't meant for commercial use
- Watch out: Enterprise starts at 100 users, and whitelabelled apps and the cross domain gateway are add-ons
- Watch out: devices must be verified by QR code or emoji string before messages decrypt
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADelta ChatVery good | 2.8GPAElementGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with the apps and relays at no charge. | CNo price is published at all. Enterprise is per seat per month and Sovereign per deployment, both through sales, and Enterprise starts at 100 users. So there is nothing to weigh against the $7 a month team chat typically starts at until you've had the call. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for every app, funded by donations. | AThe app is free for personal use on a public server, with no cap you'd run into: rooms, threads, unlimited history and end-to-end encrypted calls. Element Server Suite Community is free too, under AGPL, for 1 to 100 users. |
| Features | CChats, groups, multiple profiles and devices, and small web apps. A messenger with no channels or admin tools. | BThe whole chat job, and encrypted by default: rooms with threads, read receipts, polls, reactions and voice messages, Element Call for group voice and video, widgets like a whiteboard, Jira and OpenProject. Matrix federation lets separate organizations talk. No Element-hosted option is listed, though. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but chatmail relays let you start without setting up a server. | DAn individual can sign in on a public server and start talking. A company can't: the pricing page lists only self-hosted and air-gapped deployments, so somebody is running a Matrix homeserver. Devices also have to be verified by QR code or emoji string before messages decrypt. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No API or integrations are listed. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. Matrix is an open standard with its own API, so bots, other clients and other organizations' servers all plug in, and widgets embed NeoBoard, OpenProject and Jira in a room. |
| Best for | encrypted chat over ordinary email servers | encrypted chat on servers you control |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Delta Chat and Element. How we grade
Where they differ
- Element is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls and file sharing.
In commonFree planiOSAndroidmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceEnd-to-end encryptedTeam chat
At a glance
| Delta Chat | Element | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | The apps and the relay servers are free and open source; the project accepts donations. | The Element app is free for personal use on a public server, and Element Server Suite Community is a free AGPL self-hosted edition for 1 to 100 users. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Delta Chat contributors | Element Creations Ltd |
| Price read from | delta.chat | element.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Delta Chat
- There is no team workspace, channel structure or admin console; it is a messenger with group chats.
- Minimum systems named on the download page include Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10.
- Funding is by donations, so there is no paid support plan on the site.
Element
- No prices are published: Enterprise is priced per seat per month and Sovereign per deployment, both through sales, and Enterprise starts from 100 users.
- The free Community server edition covers 1 to 100 users and, the vendor says, is not intended for production in commercial environments.
- For organizations, the pricing page lists only self-hosted and air-gapped deployments; it does not list a plan hosted by Element.
- Whitelabelled apps and the cross domain gateway are sold as add-ons.
Key features
Delta Chat
- Chatmail relays
- Sign up to a chatmail relay for an instant chat profile, or use a classic email address as the relay.
- Audited encryption
- The site describes audited end-to-end encryption designed to hold up against network and server attacks.
- Multiple profiles and devices
- Run several chat profiles and use the same one on more than one device. The desktop apps do not need a phone install.
- Interactive web apps
- Small web apps open inside a chat for games and collaboration.
- Interoperability
- Built on internet standards, so users on different relays and clients can message each other.
- Open-source apps
- Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux apps are published with source code, along with alternative third-party clients.
Element
- End-to-end encryption by default
- The platform is end-to-end encrypted by default, including voice and video, and devices are verified by QR code or an emoji string.
- Rooms and messaging
- Rooms organize team discussions, with threads, read receipts, attachments, voice messages, polls, reactions, invite-only private rooms and unlimited history.
- Element Call
- End-to-end encrypted voice and video for 1:1 and group conversations. Element Call is also included in the free Community server edition.
- Matrix federation
- Built on the Matrix open standard, so separate organizations can communicate across servers and frontends. Administrators can enable or block federation.
- Element Server Suite
- The self-hosted backend. Pro adds the Synapse Pro homeserver, auto-scaling, high availability, an admin interface, LDAP and SCIM integration, and auditing.
- Widgets and integrations
- Interactive apps can be embedded in rooms, including a whiteboard (NeoBoard) and project management tools such as OpenProject and Jira, alongside bots.
Plans
Delta Chat
Free$0
All apps for phones and desktops at no charge. The project is funded partly by donations.
Element
Community$0
Self-hosted Element Server Suite Community: open source under AGPL, for 1 to 100 users, with Element Call. Not meant for commercial production use.
EnterpriseCustom
Self-hosted Element Server Suite Pro from 100 users, priced per seat per month through sales: Synapse Pro, SSO, LDAP, auditing and SLA-backed support.
SovereignCustom
Air-gapped Element Server Suite Pro, priced per deployment, with a dedicated mobile push gateway and no dependence on internet connectivity.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Delta Chat or Element?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Delta Chat is free, and Element publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Delta Chat or Element?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Delta Chat and Element have a free plan.
Which platforms do Delta Chat and Element run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Element lists a web app. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.