What is the difference between Element and Chanty?

Element is best for Privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication, while Chanty is best for Small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat. Element starts at Free and Chanty starts at Free.

Is Element or Chanty cheaper?

Element starts at Free and is free. Chanty starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Chanty?

Both Element and Chanty offer free tiers.

Element vs Chanty

Element is decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging built on the Matrix protocol, while Chanty is simple team messaging with tasks, video calls, and unlimited message history on the free plan. Element is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Element is built for privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication, whereas Chanty targets small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat.

At a glance

	Element	Chanty
Best for	Privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication	Small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Bridges	✓	—
End-to-End Encryption	✓	—
Matrix Protocol	✓	—
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Spaces	✓	—
Tasks	—	✓
Threads	—	✓
Unlimited History	—	✓
Video Calls	—	✓

Element

Strengths

End-to-end encrypted by default
Decentralized — no single point of failure
Can bridge to Slack, Discord, IRC, and more
Used by governments and defense organizations

Weaknesses

Steeper learning curve than mainstream alternatives
Fewer integrations and bots
UI/UX not as polished as Slack
Sync can be slow on the Matrix protocol

Try Element → Full review

Chanty

Strengths

Unlimited message history on every plan — nothing gets lost or archived
Includes Tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Free for up to 5 members — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes video calls alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Notification overload is a real problem as the number of channels grows
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Chanty → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Element and Chanty are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Element offers Bridges, End-to-End Encryption and Matrix Protocol that Chanty lacks. Chanty brings Tasks, Threads and Unlimited History that Element does not have.

Team fit: Element is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Chanty is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Element is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Chanty is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Element's biggest strengths are: end-to-end encrypted by default. decentralized — no single point of failure. Chanty's biggest strengths are: unlimited message history on every plan — nothing gets lost or archived. includes tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows.

Watch out for: With Element, users commonly note that steeper learning curve than mainstream alternatives. With Chanty, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Element if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Bridges and End-to-End Encryption
You care about decentralized — no single point of failure
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Element is designed for

Choose Chanty if...

You need a tool built for small teams wanting simple, affordable team chat
You specifically need Tasks and Threads
You care about includes tasks as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Chanty is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for up to 5 members