What is the difference between Mattermost and Element?

Mattermost is best for Teams that need self-hosted, privacy-first messaging, while Element is best for Privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication. Mattermost starts at Free (self-hosted) and Element starts at Free.

Is Mattermost or Element cheaper?

Mattermost starts at Free (self-hosted) and is free. Element starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Element?

Both Mattermost and Element offer free tiers.

Mattermost vs Element

Mattermost is open-source, self-hosted team messaging platform for organizations that need data sovereignty, while Element is decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messaging built on the Matrix protocol. Mattermost is built for teams that need self-hosted, privacy-first messaging, whereas Element targets privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication.

At a glance

	Mattermost	Element
Best for	Teams that need self-hosted, privacy-first messaging	Privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication
Starting price	Free (self-hosted)	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Bridges	—	✓
Channels	✓	—
Compliance	✓	—
End-to-End Encryption	—	✓
Integrations	✓	—
Matrix Protocol	—	✓
Playbooks	✓	—
Self-Hosted	✓	✓
Spaces	—	✓

Mattermost

Strengths

Self-hosted — full control over your data
Open source with active community
Slack-compatible interface, easy migration
Strong compliance and security features

Weaknesses

Requires server management if self-hosting
Smaller integration ecosystem than Slack
Cloud-hosted version is more expensive than Slack
Mobile apps lag behind Slack and Teams in polish

Try Mattermost → Full review

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

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Mattermost and Element are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: Mattermost offers Channels, Compliance and Integrations that Element lacks. Element brings Bridges, End-to-End Encryption and Matrix Protocol that Mattermost does not have. Both share Self-Hosted.

Team fit: Both tools target mid-size teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Both Mattermost and Element are open source, so self-hosting and code audits are on the table with either choice.

Where each tool shines: Mattermost's biggest strengths are: self-hosted — full control over your data. open source with active community. Element's biggest strengths are: end-to-end encrypted by default. decentralized — no single point of failure.

Watch out for: With Mattermost, users commonly note that requires server management if self-hosting. With Element, the main complaint is that steeper learning curve than mainstream alternatives.

Choose Mattermost if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that need self-hosted, privacy-first messaging
You specifically need Channels and Compliance
You care about open source with active community

Choose Element if...

You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams and cross-organization communication
You specifically need Bridges and End-to-End Encryption
You care about decentralized — no single point of failure