Element vs Stoat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Stoat grades higher than Element: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Element grades higher on features. Stoat grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
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 Stoat if
- Fits if you run a hobby or gaming community and want it free
- Works for people who want an open-source alternative to Discord-style servers
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need workplace controls, as there is no admin console, SSO or compliance features
- Tight if you share big files, as uploads stop at 20MB and group DMs at 50 members
- Watch out: the Android app is Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through the web app
- Watch out: the legal entity is Revolt Platforms Ltd, and the product appears to have been called Revolt before
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAElementGood | 3.2GPAStoatVery 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. | AEverything is free, with no subscription, and the server software is open source. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial. |
| 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. | AServers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 are all free. The caps are small for a community. |
| 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. | CServers, channels, roles, moderation and a public API for bots. The site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features, so it isn't built for work. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. You make an account and join or create a server, so there is some learning. |
| 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. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with a public API. The Android app is labelled Early Access and iPhone use is through the web app. |
| Best for | encrypted chat on servers you control | a free group chat for friends and communities |
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 Stoat. How we grade
Where they differ
- Element is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls.
In commonFree planWebmacOSWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidOpen sourceSelf-hostableTeam chatFile sharing
At a glance
| Element | Stoat | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Stoat is free, with custom emojis, a 20MB file upload limit and server-specific profile pictures included and no subscription required. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Element Creations Ltd | Revolt Platforms Ltd |
| Price read from | element.io | stoat.chat |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Stoat
- The Android app is labeled Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through installing the web app to the home screen.
- Built for communities rather than workplaces: the site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features.
- Uploads are capped at 20MB per file, and group DMs at 50 members.
- The site and legal entity (Revolt Platforms Ltd) suggest this product was formerly called Revolt.
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.
Stoat
- Servers and channels
- Communities are organized into servers with text channels and voice chat, plus file sharing and markdown formatting in messages.
- Roles and moderation
- A role-based permissions system and moderation tools manage who can do what, and moderation bots work with it.
- Group DMs
- Group direct messages hold up to 50 members, and bots work inside them as well.
- Themes and profile options
- Built-in themes can be swapped for ones from the Discover section or your own, and profile banners and animated avatars need no subscription.
- Public API for bots and clients
- The company says its official apps use the same public API that developers get, for building bots or custom clients.
- Self-hosting
- You can run your own server if you prefer; the site describes this as free and open.
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.
Stoat
Free$0
Everything is free: servers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 members.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Element or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Element publishes no starting price, and Stoat is free.
Which has a free plan, Element or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Element and Stoat have a free plan.
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.