Element vs Jami (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Jami 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
Element grades higher on features and platforms. Jami grades higher on value for money and ease of use. 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 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
Pick Jami if
- Fits if you want private calls and chat without an account on a company server
- Works for a small group on mixed Windows, Mac, Linux and phone devices
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need channels, a directory or an admin console, as none are listed
- Skip it if you want a mature browser version, since the web version is a first preview as of September 2026
- Too light for company rollouts, as it is closer to a messenger than a workspace
- Watch out: the project runs on donations and is a GNU project of Savoir-faire Linux
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAElementGood | 3.2GPAJamiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree with no paid plans; the project asks for donations instead. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AEntirely free, and the site says there are no limits on file size, accounts or storage. |
| Features | 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. | CChat, group chat, audio and video calls and multiple devices per account. No admin console, directory or channels are listed, which most team chat tools have. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo rating on record, but it is a program you install and use with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android. Only a first preview of a web version, and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | encrypted chat on servers you control | private peer-to-peer calls and chat |
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: Element and Jami. How we grade
Where they differ
- Element is self-hostable, according to its own site.
In commonFree planmacOSWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidOpen sourceEnd-to-end encryptedTeam chatVideo callsFile sharing
At a glance
| Element | Jami | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Element Creations Ltd | Savoir-faire Linux |
| Price read from | element.io | jami.net |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Jami
- The site lists no admin console, directory or team workspace features such as channels; it is closer to a messenger than a team chat suite.
- The vendor lists a first preview of Jami Web as of September 2026, so there is no mature browser version.
- The project is funded by donations and is a GNU project of Savoir-faire Linux.
Key features
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.
Jami
- Instant messaging and group chats
- Text chat with individuals and groups, plus audio and video message recording.
- Audio and video calls
- One-to-one calls with screen sharing and media streaming, including video conferences and rendezvous points that need no third-party hosting.
- Peer-to-peer design
- Jami says it needs no server to relay data between users and uses end-to-end encryption with perfect forward secrecy.
- Multiple devices per account
- Several devices can be linked to one Jami account, and no personal information is required to create it.
- Extension platform and SIP
- A built-in extension platform adds features, and Jami can also act as a SIP client.
Plans
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.
Jami
Free$0
No paid plans. The site says there are no limits on file size, accounts or storage, and asks for donations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Element or Jami?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Element publishes no starting price, and Jami is free.
Which has a free plan, Element or Jami?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Element and Jami have a free plan.
Which platforms do Element and Jami 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.