Element: pricing, features and alternatives
Secure messaging and calls built on the decentralised Matrix standard
What is Element?
Element makes secure communications software built on Matrix, an open standard for decentralised, federated messaging. It offers end-to-end encrypted chat and calls, and organizations can host their own servers with Element Server Suite, including air-gapped setups. A free community edition covers 1 to 100 users, and a free app is available for personal use.
Good for
- Government and public institutions that need to host and control their own messaging
- Organizations that want federation between servers and vendors
- Individuals or small groups that want an encrypted chat app
Key features
- End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls
- Federation through the Matrix open standard
- Self-hosting, including air-gapped and high-side instances
- Element Web, desktop and mobile apps
- A free app for personal use
Limitations to know about
- Paid prices are not published; the pricing page sends buyers to sales
- The pricing page describes self-hosted deployments only, so a hosted option was not confirmed
- Running a server means you manage it yourself on the free tier
Element pricing
Element has a free plan. Its plans are Element Server Suite Community (self-hosted), Element Server Suite Pro, Enterprise (self-hosted) and Element Server Suite Pro, Sovereign (air-gapped). Element Server Suite Pro, Enterprise (self-hosted) and Element Server Suite Pro, Sovereign (air-gapped) are priced on request.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Element Server Suite Community (self-hosted) | Free | Free frontend and backend, for 1 to 100 users, non-professional use and evaluation |
| Element Server Suite Pro, Enterprise (self-hosted) | Per seat per month; amount not published | For deployments from 100 users |
| Element Server Suite Pro, Sovereign (air-gapped) | Per deployment; amount not published | Air-gapped deployments |
Free plan limits: Element Server Suite Community is free of charge for non-professional deployments and evaluations, for 1 to 100 users, and you run it yourself
Element alternatives
Mattermost
Self-hosted team messaging and workflow platform for security-sensitive organizations
Rocket.Chat
Self-hostable secure messaging platform with Matrix and XMPP federation
Slack
Team messaging built around channels, with huddles, canvases and workflow automation
Discord
Group chat with text, voice and video, built around gaming and community servers
Pumble
Team chat with a free plan that keeps unlimited users and message history
Google Chat
Direct messages and spaces inside Google Workspace, with Meet and Gemini built in
Frequently asked questions
Is Element free?
Element has a free plan. Element Server Suite Community is free of charge for non-professional deployments and evaluations, for 1 to 100 users, and you run it yourself.
How much does Element cost?
Element does not publish a starting price we could verify, so check its own pricing page for current rates.
What is Element used for?
Element makes secure communications software built on Matrix, an open standard for decentralised, federated messaging. People use it for government and public institutions that need to host and control their own messaging, organizations that want federation between servers and vendors and individuals or small groups that want an encrypted chat app.
What are the alternatives to Element?
Tools that do a similar job include Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Slack, Discord and Pumble. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Element?
Element is made by Element, based in United Kingdom.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from the pages below, read on the dates shown: Element's own pages first, and a named public reference where they are silent.
- element.io/pricing (pricing page: tiers, free community edition, per-seat pricing not published) read 7 November 2026
- element.io/ (features, Matrix, self-hosting, audience) read 7 November 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Element_(software) (company hq (UK-registered); founding year not stated) read 7 November 2026
What changed in AI this week, and how to use it at work.
Plain English, no hype. One email a week, free. No account needed.
Get the newsletter