Comparison
Mattermost vs Element
Mattermost and Element are both self-hostable team messengers, but they take different shapes. Mattermost is a Slack-style workspace for a single organisation, strong on integrations and DevOps playbooks. Element is a client for the open, federated Matrix network with end-to-end encryption and cross-org communities. Here's the honest split.
Choose Mattermost if
Choose Mattermost if you want a Slack-style workspace for one organisation — deep integrations, DevOps playbooks and incident tooling — fully under your control on your own server.
Mattermost Trust Report ›Choose Element if
Choose Element if you want an end-to-end encrypted, federated network on Matrix — cross-organisation communities, spaces and bridges to other messaging platforms.
Element Trust Report ›| Model | ||
| Network | Single server Not federated | Matrix Federated |
| License | AGPL core + source-available enterprise | Open source AGPL-3.0 |
| Encryption | In transit E2EE not default | End-to-end Default in private rooms |
| Collaboration | ||
| Channels & threads | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations & playbooks | Strong DevOps-focused | Bridges To other chat networks |
| Cross-org federation | — No open federation; Enterprise shared channels | Yes |
| Fit | ||
| Best for | One org's workspace | Communities + cross-org |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes Run a homeserver |
| Price | Free self-host + paid tiers | Free + hosting options |
The bottom line
Choose Mattermost if
Choose Mattermost if you want a Slack-style workspace for one organisation — deep integrations, DevOps playbooks and incident tooling — fully under your control on your own server.
Choose Element if
Choose Element if you want an end-to-end encrypted, federated network on Matrix — cross-organisation communities, spaces and bridges to other messaging platforms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Mattermost and Element?
Mattermost and Element are both self-hostable team messengers, but they take different shapes. Mattermost is a Slack-style workspace for a single organisation, strong on integrations and DevOps playbooks. Element is a client for the open, federated Matrix network with end-to-end encryption and cross-org communities. Here's the honest split. In short: choose Mattermost if choose Mattermost if you want a Slack-style workspace for one organisation — deep integrations, DevOps playbooks and incident tooling — fully under your control on your own server. Choose Element if choose Element if you want an end-to-end encrypted, federated network on Matrix — cross-organisation communities, spaces and bridges to other messaging platforms.
Is Mattermost or Element cheaper?
At our last review, Mattermost is listed at “Free self-host · paid tiers/cloud” and Element at “Free · open source”. Pricing is recorded as published by each developer and re-checked when the report is refreshed.
Which of Mattermost and Element supports more platforms?
Mattermost runs on Self-hosted (Linux binary + PostgreSQL) · web · Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android. Element runs on Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android · web.
Are Mattermost and Element both safe to use?
Both carry an independent Altapp Trust Report. Mattermost: 6/9 of nine checks verified, last full review Jul 19, 2026. Element: 8/9 of nine checks verified, last full review Jul 19, 2026. Each covers source verification, data and permissions, and known risks. Altapp publishes no score of its own — the count is a tally of what could be independently confirmed.