Matrix vs Wire (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Matrix grades higher than Wire: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Matrix grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Wire
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations
Which one is for you
Pick Matrix if
- Fits if you want chat that no single company controls
- Works for communities that want to run their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one app that behaves the same everywhere, since features depend on the client
- Tight if you share big files on the free homeserver, as attachments stop at 10MB
- Watch out: the matrix.org server is crowded and has usage limits
- Watch out: running your own homeserver, or paying a host, is a separate cost and effort the Foundation does not endorse
- Watch out: Element X is mobile only and Nheko is desktop only
Pick Wire if
- Fits if your messages, calls and files all have to be end-to-end encrypted
- Works for government bodies or regulated firms that need chat on their own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want your chat wired into other tools, as no integrations or public API are on record
- Tight if you're staying free, with 5 team members and no conference calls beyond 2 participants
- Not for you if a well-rated phone app matters, going by its 3.07 from 920 App Store ratings
- Watch out: browser calling works only in Chrome, and the Linux app is an experimental community build
- Pricey if you budget in dollars or pass 100 people, as prices are in euros only and bigger teams need an Enterprise quote
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMatrixVery good | 2.0GPAWireFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe protocol and its clients are free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial. | CWire for SMB is €7.45 a person a month paid annually, €8.94 monthly, which is about what team chat costs, and single sign-on and SCIM are in from that first paid plan. Prices are published in euros only, and NGOs can apply for 40% off. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free homeserver allows 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, 500MB per 28 days. Most people get by, but heavy sharers hit it. | CWire for Free stops at 5 people, and the harder limit is that it cannot start a conference call with more than 2 participants. You do get the essentials on every platform and up to 8 devices. Past five of you, it's the paid plan, as there's no trial listed. |
| Features | CFederation, a choice of clients, spaces, threads and bridges to Slack and Discord. Calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you pick, which is a gap. | CEverything is end-to-end encrypted on the MLS protocol, messages, calls and files alike, with conferences up to 150, Wire Drive for documents, guests joining from a browser and on-premises or hybrid deployment. The listing's own note: calling in a browser works only in Chrome. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick a homeserver and a client before you start, so there is some learning. | D3.07 from 920 App Store ratings, which is poor by any reading: nearly as many reviewers left one star as five. The Linux desktop app is an experimental community build, and browser calling is Chrome-only, so somebody is sorting out what people run it on. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android clients exist, with bridges to Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and Mattermost. Which platform a given client covers differs. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, up to 8 devices each, and federation so separate Wire backends talk to each other. But there are no integrations on record at all and no public API listed, so it doesn't join up with the rest of your tools. |
| Best for | open, federated chat you can host yourself | end-to-end encrypted chat and calls for organisations |
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: Matrix and Wire. How we grade
Price against what you get
Matrix has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Wire starts at about $8.32 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Matrix scores higher and starts $8.32 a month lower. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Matrix for less, and 26 score higher than Wire for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Wire also covers video calls and file sharing.
At a glance
| Matrix | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | €7.45 per person / month, paid annually |
| Free plan | The protocol is free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver with usage limits on attachments and data. | Wire for Free: teams of up to 5 people with collaboration essentials on all platforms and up to 8 devices. It cannot start conference calls with more than 2 participants. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Matrix.org Foundation | Wire Swiss GmbH |
| Price read from | matrix.org | wire.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Matrix
- Matrix is a protocol, not one app: features such as calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you choose.
- The public matrix.org homeserver is crowded and has usage limits; the Foundation says premium plan pricing is not yet published.
- Running your own homeserver, or paying a hosting provider, is a separate cost and effort that the Foundation does not endorse or guarantee.
- The platforms listed are those of the featured clients, which differ: Element X is mobile only, while Nheko is desktop only.
Wire
- Prices are listed in euros only.
- Wire for Free stops at 5 team members and cannot start a conference call with more than 2 participants.
- The SMB plan covers teams of up to 100 people; larger organizations need a custom Enterprise quote.
- The Linux desktop app is a community-supported experimental build, and browser calling works only in Chrome.
Key features
Matrix
- Federation between servers
- Accounts look like @username:example.com, and people on different providers can message each other, much as email works across providers.
- Choice of client
- Matrix is only the standard; you chat through a client. The clients page lists Element, Element X, FluffyChat, Cinny and Nheko across web, desktop and mobile.
- Encryption in clients that support it
- End-to-end encryption is listed as a capability of the featured clients, including for media and calls where a client supports them.
- Spaces and threads
- Clients can browse and manage Matrix spaces to group rooms for a community, and most featured clients support threaded replies.
- Bridges to other networks
- Bridges connect Matrix rooms to platforms including Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Mattermost and Google Chat.
- Self-hosting or hosted providers
- Anyone can run their own homeserver, or pick from the hosting providers the Foundation lists, so an organization keeps control of its data.
Wire
- Encrypted messaging
- Group and 1:1 conversations with search, reactions, sketches, audio and video messages and self-deleting messages, all end-to-end encrypted with MLS.
- Calls and conferences
- Audio and video conferencing for up to 150 participants on web, desktop and mobile, with screen sharing and moderation tools such as muting participants.
- Wire Drive
- Integrated file management and online document collaboration, with files kept inside conversations tied to verified group membership.
- Guests and externals
- Externals are team members with limited access rights, while guests can join a conversation from a web browser without an account.
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
- Wire can be deployed in its cloud, on your own infrastructure or both, and federation lets separate Wire backends interact as if they were one.
- SSO, SCIM and admin controls
- Paid plans add SAML-based single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, administrative controls and feature configurations such as restricting file sharing.
Plans
Matrix
Free$0
Matrix.org homeserver account: 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, up to 500MB per 28 days.
Wire
Wire for Free€0
For small teams of up to 5 people: collaboration essentials on all platforms and up to 8 devices.
Wire for SMB€7.45
per person / month, paid annually (€8.94 paid monthly)
Teams of up to 100 people. Video conferences with up to 150 participants, SSO and SCIM, administrative controls, and external and guest roles.
Wire for EnterpriseCustom
More than 100 people. Federation with Wire Cloud, ID Shield, full deployment support, data sovereignty and multi-tenancy.
Ways to pay less
Matrix
No public discounts listed.
Wire
- Annual discount
About 17% less with annual payment
Wire for SMB costs €7.45 per person / month with annual payment against €8.94 with monthly payment.
- Nonprofit
40% discount for NGOs
Wire's pricing FAQ says it offers NGOs a 40% discount, applied for by contacting the company.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Matrix or Wire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Matrix is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $8.32 a month for each person for Wire. Matrix is free, and Wire starts at €7.45 per person / month, paid annually.
Which has a free plan, Matrix or Wire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Matrix and Wire 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.