Element

Overview

Element is developed by the former New Vector (Element) team and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the main client and official reference implementation of the Matrix open protocol in the instant messaging space. Element enables end-to-end encryption by default, and provides instant messaging, file sharing, voice/video calls (Element Call), and group management, with both self-hosted and SaaS delivery, widely used by governments, defense, and finance organizations with strict security requirements.

The Matrix protocol started development in 2014, and the Element client has evolved on top of it since then. The product matrix covers the free open source Community edition, the enterprise Element Server Suite Pro, the Sovereign deployment tier, and the white-label Element Pro frontend. The company is certified under ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus, and ISO/IEC 5230 (OpenChain), and is adopted by multiple European governments. Data sovereignty and security hardening are the key differentiators of Element versus mainstream commercial messaging tools.

Key Strengths

• End-to-end encryption by default: Messages, files, and 1:1 and group voice/video calls (Element Call) are all E2EE by default, with cross-device QR/emoji verification, so only conversation participants can decrypt content. See two-factor authentication implementation to further harden account security.
• Decentralized federated architecture: Built on the open Matrix protocol, under development since 2014, with no single point of failure; Matrix servers of different organizations interoperate securely, avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Open source and auditable: Element Server Suite Community is licensed under AGPL with public source code; clients cover 5 platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) and browsers.
• Enterprise compliance certifications: ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus, and ISO/IEC 5230 (OpenChain), with LDAP/AD, OIDC SSO, and audit logs for compliance requirements.
• Data sovereignty and self-hosting: Data is fully controlled by the organization, with Helm/Kubernetes deployment and air-gapped offline options; Sovereign plans start at 100 users.
• Synapse Pro efficiency: Saves 90%+ resources compared with Community Synapse, with auto-scaling, high-availability rolling updates, and LTS releases every 6 months to reduce long-term operations cost.

Product Ecosystem

Element Server Suite Community

Element's official free open source distribution, licensed under AGPL, including the frontend and Synapse backend with built-in Element Call, suitable for non-commercial evaluation and self-hosted deployment.

Element Server Suite Pro (Enterprise)

A commercial edition for enterprises including Synapse Pro, offering dynamic scaling, 4-business-hour SLA response, LTS support, LDAP/AD and OIDC SSO, and audit and compliance management, priced per seat per month.

Element Call

An end-to-end encrypted voice and video calling app supporting 1:1 and group calls, deeply integrated into the Element client, with no phone number required to start a call.

Element Pro

An enterprise-grade frontend supporting white-label mobile apps, custom brand themes, TLS certificate pinning, mobile device management (MDM), and custom domains.

Sovereign

A deployment tier for governments and classified organizations, supporting air-gapped offline operation, a dedicated mobile push gateway, secure border gateways, and cross-domain data exchange, priced per deployment starting at 100 users.

Limitations

• Weak network effects: A much smaller user base than mainstream platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams; mainstream teams need to build usage culture, and external customer collaboration is limited.
• Interface and ecosystem still maturing: The app and integration ecosystem (third-party plugins, automation tools) is less rich than commercial rivals, with some enterprise features behind Enterprise subscriptions.
• High self-hosting operational cost: Server deployment, version upgrades, federation configuration, and compliance maintenance require professional operations teams, which is a heavy burden for small teams.
• User experience barrier: Concepts such as device verification, federation, and room permissions have a learning curve for non-technical users, slowing wide adoption.

Use Cases

• High-security organizations (government, defense, finance) (★★★★★): Default E2EE and air-gapped deployment meet the highest confidentiality requirements.
• Enterprises needing data sovereignty and self-hosting (★★★★★): Data is fully controlled; see zero trust architecture to build defense in depth.
• Cross-organization federated collaboration （★★★★☆）: Matrix servers of different organizations interoperate securely, ideal for alliances and supply-chain collaboration.
• Teams prioritizing ease of use and ecosystem （★★☆☆☆）: If usability and app ecosystem come first, Slack/Discord-style solutions may be a better fit.

Pricing

Note: The Community edition is completely free; Enterprise and Sovereign pricing requires contacting Element sales. The table reflects the publicly stated billing models.

FAQ

• What is the relationship between Element and Matrix? Element is the main client and official reference implementation of the Matrix open protocol. Matrix provides the protocol and federated network, while Element provides the client and commercial services, maintained by the same ecosystem team; see Slack and Discord team communication.

• Is Element free? The Community edition is fully free and open source under AGPL for self-hosting; enterprise features (Synapse Pro, SLA, auditing, SSO) require an Enterprise subscription priced per seat per month; see open source commercial software market.

• How reliable is Element's encryption? All messages, files, and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default, the company is certified under ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and cross-device verification is supported. See remote team toolchain for secure messaging options.

• Can I self-host Element? Yes, Element Server Suite provides official Helm charts supporting Kubernetes, GitOps, and continuous deployment, with data fully controlled by the organization, even in air-gapped offline environments; see Kubernetes deployment for beginners.

• Can Element replace Slack? Element is superior to Slack in high-security, data sovereignty, and compliance scenarios; if usability, app ecosystem, and network effects matter more, see Slack vs Discord team communication to weigh the choice.