The Element Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Element in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Element
The Insider’s Guide
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Element’s own pages.
Made by Element Creations Ltd · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Element’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Element’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade
Element is an end-to-end encrypted messaging and calling app built on Matrix, an open standard for decentralized communication. Individuals can use it on a free public server, while organizations self-host it with Element Server Suite: the free AGPL Community edition for up to 100 users, or the paid Pro edition. Because it runs on Matrix, an Element deployment can federate with other Matrix-based systems.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Element, taken from its own pages and our grades.
For a company, you run the server yourself and ask sales for a price, since none is published and no Element-hosted plan is listed.
- 1
Best for encrypted chat on servers you control
Element is end-to-end encrypted chat and calls built on Matrix, an open standard, so your server can talk to other people's.
- 2
There is a 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.
- 3
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 4
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.
- 5
Rooms and messaging
Rooms organize team discussions, with threads, read receipts, attachments, voice messages, polls, reactions, invite-only private rooms and unlimited history.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 21 of 33
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Element you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Element at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Element Creations Ltd, since 2015
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for encrypted chat on servers you control
Element is end-to-end encrypted chat and calls built on Matrix, an open standard, so your server can talk to other people's. The app is free for personal use, and a free self-hosted edition covers up to 100 users but isn't meant for commercial use. For a company, you run the server yourself and ask sales for a price, since none is published and no Element-hosted plan is listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No 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 | A | The 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 | B | The 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 | D | An 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 | A | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Element is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Governments and regulated organizations that self-host encrypted chat
- Organizations that need air-gapped deployments
- Groups that want to federate with other Matrix servers
- Individuals and communities who want a free encrypted messenger
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
3
plans to choose from
Element has a free plan.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
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.
Sovereign
Custom
Air-gapped Element Server Suite Pro, priced per deployment, with a dedicated mobile push gateway and no dependence on internet connectivity.
The 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.
Read from element.io on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, end-to-end encrypted, team chat, video calls, file sharing.
Matrix federation lets separate organizations talk.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- NeoBoard
- OpenProject
- Jira
Who makes Element
Element Creations Ltd makes the Element apps and Element Server Suite on the open Matrix standard, which the same team created. It earns money from subscriptions and commercial licences, with much of its business in the public sector.
- Founded
- 2017element.io
- Based
- London, United Kingdomelement.io
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held and backed by venture investors. Set up in 2017 as New Vector Ltd, an independent company spun out of Amdocs, and renamed Element Creations Limited in 2025, according to its about page.element.io
- Funding
- Raised $30 million in a Series B led by Protocol Labs alongside Metaplanet in July 2021, and $8.5 million in a Series A from Notion Capital, Dawn and firstminute in October 2019, both according to its own announcements.element.ioelement.io
- Founders and leaders
- Matthew Hodgson, Co-founder, CEO/CTOelement.io
- Amandine Le Pape, Co-founder, COOelement.io
- Patrick Alberts, Chief Product Officerelement.io
- Juho Lahdenpera, Chief Financial Officerelement.io
- Hiring
- One open role on its job board: a Product Manager in product management, remote in Germany.element.careers.hibob.com
- Partner program
- Partner program with three kinds of partner: solutions partners (system integrators), managed service partners that host Element, and application partners that build modules and integrations. Firms apply through the site; no payment terms are published.element.io
- Lately
- Element partners with Arawa to bring sovereign, open-standard federated communications to French local authorities · Sep 23, 2026
- Making sovereignty standard for European governments · Sep 17, 2026
- Organise your chats your way with Sections · Jul 16, 2026
- Element recognised as a Digital Public Good · Jun 17, 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
21/33
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Element's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 30 of 33) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Element’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 33
- AFree plan and trialAbove 30 of 33
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 33
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 33
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 33
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Element you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Element is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Video calls.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: SCIM.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Element’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Wire and Slack
The 5 tools Element is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Mattermost
Free plan
Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards.
- Element is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls and file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Rocket.Chat
Free plan
Open-source, self-managed chat for security-focused teams.
- Element also covers video calls.
- 2.8GPA
Zulip
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic.
- Element is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls.
- 2.0GPA
Wire
Free plan · from €7.45/mo
- 2.8GPA
Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI.
- Element is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Slack also covers workflow automation and documents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Element free?
Element has a 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.
How much does Element cost?
Element lists 3 plans. Community: $0.
What platforms does Element work on?
Element is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Is Element open source?
Yes. Element is open source, according to its own site.
Is Element end-to-end encrypted?
Element describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
What does Element integrate with?
Element's listing names NeoBoard, OpenProject and Jira. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Element?
Element is made by a company of the same name. Privately held and backed by venture investors.
What are the alternatives to Element?
The closest alternatives to Element in our directory are Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Wire and Slack.
How does Element compare with other team communication apps?
Element's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 7.
Could I make my own version of Element?
To replace Element you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Element’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Element's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-04.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Element Creations Ltd. Prices change, so check element.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Element, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/element
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Element: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/element
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/element/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Element, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Element’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Element is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Element Creations Ltd. Prices and plans change: check element.io before you buy.