What is Element used for?

Element is a web and desktop client for the Matrix network, offering encrypted chat, rooms and collaboration built on the Matrix JS SDK. It is a good fit for team chat on a self-managed Matrix server and joining federated Matrix communities.

Is Element open source?

Yes. Element is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at element-hq/element-web and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Element is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host Element?

Yes. Element can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Element an alternative to?

Element is an open-source alternative to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord and Telegram. Other open-source alternatives to Slack include Rocket.Chat, Mattermost and Zulip.

Is Element actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Element was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.12.30, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 14k stars on GitHub.

Element: open-source alternative to Slack, Microsoft Teams

About Element

Element Web is a client for Matrix, the open protocol for decentralized messaging. It is the web and desktop application formerly known as Vector and Riot, and it lets people join rooms, chat in teams and communities, and collaborate across Matrix servers rather than inside a single vendor's network.

The client is built with TypeScript on top of the Matrix JS SDK. The README defines support tiers for browsers, covering recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari on desktop, best-effort handling for ESR and extended-stable releases, and community support for mobile web. For phones and tablets the maintainers recommend the native Element X apps for Android and iOS.

It is released under the AGPL-3.0 license and is typically served from your own web host or used through the hosted app from the vendor, Element. Related products such as Element Call and the Enterprise Server Suite are mentioned as part of the wider Element offering. Changes are tracked on GitHub with regular release cycles.

Key features

Matrix web client for rooms and chat
Desktop app built from the same code
Built on the Matrix JS SDK
Documented browser support tiers
Works alongside Element X mobile apps

Good fit for

→Team chat on a self-managed Matrix server
→Joining federated Matrix communities

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: matrix; team-chat; messaging; web-client; federated; encrypted-chat; agpl

Element: questions and answers

What is Element used for?: Element is a web and desktop client for the Matrix network, offering encrypted chat, rooms and collaboration built on the Matrix JS SDK. It is a good fit for team chat on a self-managed Matrix server and joining federated Matrix communities.
Is Element open source?: Yes. Element is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at element-hq/element-web and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Element free?: Yes. Element is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host Element?: Yes. Element can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Element an alternative to?: Element is an open-source alternative to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord and Telegram. Other open-source alternatives to Slack include Rocket.Chat, Mattermost and Zulip.
Is Element actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Element was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.12.30, published on 29 September 2026. The project has 14k stars on GitHub.