Element

Decentralized, encrypted messaging built on Matrix protocol

Visit Website 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Open Source Self-Hosted Free Tier Messaging

Privacy Score

Grade B

Last reviewed: Jan 2026

How we score

View Score Breakdown

Data Residency (30%)

EU + Others

Where is your data stored? EU-only storage gets full points.

Open Source (20%)

100/100

Is the code open source and auditable?

85/100

How clear, comprehensive, and user-friendly is the privacy policy?

Trackers (15%)

90/100

How many third-party trackers are used? Fewer is better.

85/100

How fair and user-friendly are the terms of service?

Replaces

Slack Microsoft Teams WhatsApp

Developer Info

API Available

Yes Excellent

Self-Hosting

Available Medium

License

Apache-2.0 Open Source

Compliance

GDPR

Migration Guides

Step-by-step guides to help you switch to Element:

How to Switch from Slack to Element

From Slack

Medium 45 minutes

Pricing

Free (self-hosted), hosted from $5/user/month

Element is a secure messaging app built on the Matrix protocol. It allows decentralized communication with end-to-end encryption, letting you control where your data is stored.

Key Features

Decentralized: Choose your server or run your own
End-to-end encryption: Secure messaging and calls
Bridges: Connect to Slack, Discord, Telegram, etc.
Federation: Communicate across different servers
Rich features: Threads, spaces, voice/video calls

Privacy Highlights

Element uses the Matrix protocol, which supports decentralization and federation. You can self-host to maintain complete control over your data. End-to-end encryption protects all conversations.