Element vs Keet (2026): which should you pick?

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 Keet if

• Fits if you want private chat and calls without a phone number
• Works for small groups who trade big files directly

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want managed workplace chat, as there is no admin console
• Watch out: lose your seed phrase and you cannot move your chats to a new device
• Watch out: mobile apps are offered only in supported regions, with an Android file as the fallback
• Too light for teams that need integrations, since none are listed

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.

Keet

• Because there is no server, the site says your 24-word seed phrase is how you get your chats and contacts onto another device; keep it safe.
• The site describes no admin console, workspace roles or third-party integrations, so it suits personal and small-group chat more than managed workplace use.
• Mobile apps are offered through the App Store or Google Play 'in supported regions', and an Android APK is linked from the download page.
• The vendor describes Keet as free of charge; the site gives no paid plan or business edition.

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.

Keet

Direct peer-to-peer transfer

Messages, calls and files go straight between participants' devices, with no central server handling them.

No phone number or email

An account is created without personal details. Identity is a 24-word seed phrase, much like a crypto wallet.

Audio and video calls

One-to-one and group calls run over the same peer-to-peer connections, and the site says they are tuned for large group calls.

Rooms and broadcast rooms

Group rooms are open to join by link, and broadcast rooms let creators post to an audience that can react but not reply.

Files of any size

Files are sent device to device, and the FAQ says there is no size limit.

Multi-device sync

A second device is linked by scanning a QR code or using a sync link from a device that is already connected.

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.

Keet

• Free$0

  The whole app, with no paid tier.