Element AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Video Calling Apps

The best Video Calling alternative to Element is Signal, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Element and loads of them are Video Calling Apps so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Video Calling App alternatives to Element are Telegram, Discord, Pidgin and Tox.

filter to find the best alternatives

Element alternatives are mainly Video Calling Apps, but if you're looking for Group Chat Apps or Instant Messengers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Self-Hosted. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Element.
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Alternatives list

  1. Signal icon

    Signal

     1354 likes
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    An open-source messaging app emphasizing privacy with encrypted communication. Share texts, calls, photos, and videos without ads or trackers, available across major platforms. Developed by Signal Technology Foundation and praised globally for security measures.

    215 Signal alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Snapcraft
    Signal screenshot 1
     
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    45
    Comments about Signal as an Alternative to Element
    Ruvenss G Wilches
    Negative
    9

    not a self-hosted solution or an enterprise system

    alternativepun3n
    Negative
    1

    Signal is a centralized System, while with Element you can interact with everyone in the federated Matrix-Network.

    LinuxDoge
    Negative
    2

    Just not an alternative. Phone numbers, Google reCaptcha, centralized, slow development. Better than most tracking messengers though.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Element Icon
    Signal icon

    • Most users think Signal is a great Element alternative.

    • Signal is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Element.

    • Signal is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Element.

    • Signal is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Signal is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  2. Telegram icon

    Telegram

     2075 likes
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    Maximize your messaging experience with efficient communication, speedy delivery, and optional end-to-end encrypted Secret Chats. Engage in unlimited channels and groups up to 200,000 members. Enhance chat management and media sharing with Telegram Premium and its exclusive benefits. All core features remain free.

    284 Telegram alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Auto
    • Linux Mobile
    • Android Wear
    • PortableApps.com
    • FreeBSD
    • Apple Car Play
    Telegram Desktop
     
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    33
    Comments about Telegram as an Alternative to Element
    Top Positive Comment
    Kimmy Garcia
    -3

    I love the GUI, it's intuitive and user-friendly. Its simplicity is simply the best and the fact that it features a dark theme!

    Top Negative Comment
    Ruvenss G Wilches
    14

    Telegram is not a self-hosted solution. Neither an enterprise product is a peer to peer public product

    Centaro
    Negative
    11

    Telegram has proprietary up-stream code.

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    3 of 5 comments
    Element Icon
    Telegram icon

    • Most users think Telegram is a great Element alternative.

    • Telegram is the most popular Web-based & Android Tablet alternative to Element.

    • Telegram is Freemium and ProprietaryElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Telegram is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  4. Discord icon

    Discord

     1105 likes
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    An integrated platform for text and voice communications. Offers tailored channels for different topics, customizable moderation tools, low latency for fluency, and managed user roles for optimal community facilitation.

    191 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Desktop UI
     
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    22
    Comments about Discord as an Alternative to Element
    Top Positive Comment
    Paul
    11

    I think Discord can be an alternative to Riot since it allows making calls and collaborate, but for me, Riot is more a privacy-focused alternative to Slack and Discord is more aimed at gaming communities.

    Top Negative Comment
    EpicLPer
    7

    Discord is not self-hosted and their support tends to be really on the thin side, not listening to users reasons.

    Guest
    Negative
    3

    Proprietary, not end to end encrypted, not at all privacy focused

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Element Icon
    Discord icon

    • Some users think Discord is a great Element alternative, some don't.

    • Discord is Freemium and ProprietaryElement is Free Personal and Open Source
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Google Chat icon
    Google Chat

    Secure team messaging platform with organized topic-based conversations, real-time collaboration on Docs, Sheets, Slides, integrated calendar scheduling, one-click meetings, shared tasks and files, Google Workspace support, admin...

    https://workspace.google.com
    Learn More
  6. Pidgin icon

    Pidgin

     1529 likes
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    Pidgin is a chat program which lets you log into accounts on multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on XMPP and sitting in an IRC channel at the same time.

    118 Pidgin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    Pidgin screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Comments about Pidgin as an Alternative to Element
    Ituaf
    2

    By default, Pidgin doesn't support the Matrix protocol, but there are plugins for it. However, it certainly isn't the best alternative to Element, as it lacks many of the features of Element due to it not being designed with Matrix in mind.

    Guest
    Negative
    2

    Pidgin is a multi protocol client, element is a client only for Matrix. It one day Pidgin supports Matrix, one could compare both just for Matrix.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    davaga6837
    Positive
    0

    OTR messaging is an old concept with very few user and developer resources behind it. Do not use Pidgin if you want a secure messaging app.

    Element Icon
    Pidgin icon

    • Most users think Pidgin is a great Element alternative.

    • Pidgin is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
  7. Tox icon

    Tox

     558 likes
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    With the rise of widespread government monitoring programs, Tox is an easy to use application that allows you to connect with friends and loved ones without anyone else listening in.

    212 Tox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • F-Droid
    The Universal Tox Client. A Tox client that runs on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, FreeBSD & the web. Written in JS using React & React Native / electron.
     
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    11
    Comments about Tox as an Alternative to Element
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Tox is not a Matrix client.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    Remotely similar, but not nearly enough. Too many features missing from Tox to make it a good alternative to Riot.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    it hasn't a working team audiochat and is very unstable and inactive

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Element Icon
    Tox icon

    • Some users think Tox is a great Element alternative, some don't.

    • Tox is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Tox is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  8. Jitsi Meet icon

    Jitsi Meet

     283 likes
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    Go ahead, video chat with the whole team. In fact, invite everyone you know. Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free.

    148 Jitsi Meet alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple Watch
    • F-Droid
    Jitsi Meet screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Jitsi Meet as an Alternative to Element
    davaga6837
    Negative
    1

    It only supports video calling.

    Element Icon
    Jitsi Meet icon

    • Most users think Jitsi Meet is a great Element alternative.

    • Jitsi Meet is Free and Open SourceElement is Free Personal and Open Source
    • Jitsi Meet is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
  10. Slack icon

    Slack

     858 likes
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    Offers unified communication for teams with advanced real-time messaging, contextual features, versatile chat tools, and organized conversations in dedicated channels with integrated file sharing on Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile platforms for enhanced productivity.

    224 Slack alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Electron
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Slack screenshot 1
     
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    17
    Comments about Slack as an Alternative to Element
    LinuxDoge
    Negative
    1

    Not open source, not secure, not decentralized. Not an alternative.

    davaga6837
    Positive
    1

    Not open source, chat used to develop generative AI, privacy invasive. Easier and faster than element.

    Paul
    Positive
    -1

    Good app to collaborate on projects. Basically, Riot is a privacy-focused alternative to Slack.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Element Icon
    Slack icon

    • Most users think Slack is a great Element alternative.

    • Slack is the most popular SaaS alternative to Element.

    • Slack is Freemium and ProprietaryElement is Free Personal and Open Source
  11. Mumble icon

    Mumble

     480 likes
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    Mumble was the first and is the most successful and wide spread free and open source software for VoIP. It was the first VoIP software to provide low-latency audio suitable for gaming, and at the same time was a pioneer in high audio quality.

    50 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Mumble 1.2.3 Release Candidate – some users in different channels
     
  12. Jami icon

    Jami

     237 likes
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    Jami (formerly GNU Ring, SFLphone) positions itself as a potential free Skype replacement

    160 Jami alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Jami video conference OS X
     
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    8
  13. WhatsApp icon

    WhatsApp

     849 likes
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    Exchange messages without SMS fees using this app for iPhone, Android and desktop, featuring group chats, multimedia sharing, and video calls. The app requires an internet connection and the latest version for optimal functionality.

    249 WhatsApp alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Auto
    • Android Wear
    • Apple Car Play
    WhatsApp screenshot 1
     
  15. Wire icon

    Wire

     311 likes
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    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    282 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Wire screenshot 1
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3
     
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    13
    Comments about Wire as an Alternative to Element
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Appears to have a fairly complete feature set for this type of application.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Element Icon
    Wire icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Wire is a great Element alternative.

    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceElement is also Free Personal and Open Source
    • Wire is Security-focusedElement is not according to our users
12 of 106 Element alternatives