Self-Hosted Element Alternatives

There are many alternatives to Element as a self-hosted solution if you are looking for a replacement. The best Self-Hosted alternative is Matrix, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Element and many of them are available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted alternatives to Element are Jitsi Meet, Mumble, SimpleX Chat and Wire.

filter to find the best alternatives

Element alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Instant Messengers or Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Self-Hosted. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Element.
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Alternatives list

  1. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     383 likes

    Matrix defines a set of open APIs for decentralised communication, suitable for securely publishing, persisting and subscribing to data over a global open federation of servers with no single point of control.

    166 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    Main Page
     
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    16
    Comments about Matrix as an Alternative to Element
    Ema_Nymton
    Positive
    12

    Element wouldn't exist without Matrix, so it's a great alternative in the way that I am a great alternative to my father.

    Alperen Isa Nalbant
    6

    The matrix is the protocol itself. It is a client for Element Matrix.

    Matrix icon
    Matrix icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Matrix is a great Element alternative.

    • Matrix is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Matrix is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  2. Jitsi Meet icon

    Jitsi Meet

     284 likes

    Go ahead, video chat with the whole team. In fact, invite everyone you know. Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free.

    148 Jitsi Meet alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple Watch
    • F-Droid
    Jitsi Meet screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Jitsi Meet as an Alternative to Element
    davaga6837
    Negative
    1

    It only supports video calling.

    Jitsi Meet icon
    Jitsi Meet icon

    • Most users think Jitsi Meet is a great Element alternative.

    • Jitsi Meet is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Jitsi Meet is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  4. Mumble icon

    Mumble

     480 likes

    Mumble was the first and is the most successful and wide spread free and open source software for VoIP. It was the first VoIP software to provide low-latency audio suitable for gaming, and at the same time was a pioneer in high audio quality.

    50 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Mumble 1.2.3 Release Candidate – some users in different channels
     
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Virola Messenger icon
    Virola Messenger

    Secure self-hosted platform unites private and group messaging, voice and video meetings, meeting recording, file transfer, issue tracking, screen sharing, remote control, and flexible permissions for on-premises collaboration in...

    https://virola.io
    Learn More
  6. SimpleX Chat icon

    SimpleX Chat

     90 likes

    SimpleX - the most private and secure chat and applications platform - now with double ratchet E2E encryption! Built on Haskell with Love and Coffee.

    69 SimpleX Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 1
     
  7. Wire icon

    Wire

     313 likes

    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    282 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Wire screenshot 1
     
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    1
    13
    Comments about Wire as an Alternative to Element
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Appears to have a fairly complete feature set for this type of application.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Wire icon
    Wire icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Wire is a great Element alternative.

    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceElement is also Free Personal and Open Source
    • Wire is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  8. Mattermost icon

    Mattermost

     253 likes

    Mattermost is a secure, open source platform for communication, collaboration, and workflow orchestration across tools and teams.

    130 Mattermost alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • JavaScript
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    Mattermost screenshot 1
     
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    13
    Comments about Mattermost as an Alternative to Element
    Paul
    Positive
    0

    One of the best alternatives to Slack (with Riot and Zulip). It's open source and you can self-host it, which means more control over the app and the privacy of the users.

    davaga6837
    Positive
    0

    Mattermost is FOSS, self-hosted, fast, featured and has pretty good ease of use. A top replacement for Element. It supports matrixbridges to connect to different protocols.

    Mattermost icon
    Mattermost icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Mattermost is a great Element alternative.

    • Mattermost is Paid and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
  10. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     266 likes

    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    222 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Zulip screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Zulip as an Alternative to Element
    Paul
    Positive
    0

    Open-source and privacy focused, like Riot. It's one of the best alternatives to Slack.

    Zulip icon
    Zulip icon
    • Zulip is Free Personal and Open SourceElement is also Free Personal and Open Source
  11. Rocket.Chat icon

    Rocket.Chat

     160 likes

    Rocket.Chat is a Web Chat Server, developed in JavaScript, using the Meteor fullstack framework.

    142 Rocket.Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    Rocket.Chat screenshot 1
     
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    1
    9
    Comments about Rocket.Chat as an Alternative to Element
    davaga6837
    Positive
    0

    Self-hostable and FOSS like Element and Mattermost. Team chat app. Also supports bridges.

    Rocket.Chat icon
    Rocket.Chat icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Rocket.Chat is a great Element alternative.

    • Rocket.Chat is Freemium and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
  13. Briefing icon

    Briefing

     29 likes

    The preservation of privacy is the main driver for this project. Secure technologies, such as WebRTC, are used to establish a direct connection between the participants. The website that provides the web application and mediates the communication stores as little data as...

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • npm
    Briefing screenshot 1
     
  14. Snikket icon

    Snikket

     10 likes

    Snikket is an ambitious project to build a new kind of XMPP-based messaging platform.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Docker
    Snikket screenshot 1
     
  15. Strafe Chat icon

    Strafe Chat

     6 likes

    StrafeChat is a web application focused on no censorship. We believe that people with any belief, opinion, or view should be able to communicate with each other freely.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    A channel in strafe chat
     
12 of 47 Element alternatives