Element
846 likes
Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.
Cost / License
- Free Personal
- Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- Snapcraft
- Matrix.org
- Flathub
- F-Droid
- OpenAPK
- Cloudron
Features
Highlights All activities
Element News & Activities
Recent News
- Paul published news article about Element
- Mauricio B. Holguin published news article about Element Pro
- Mauricio B. Holguin published news article about Element
Recent activities
The ultimate F-Droid setup (300+ Apps)
WHAT IS F-DROID ?
F-Droid is an awesome app repository for FOSS (Free & Open Source Software) android apps. From productivity apps to games, f-droid has (almost) everything you need.
Hope you will discover useful FOSS apps to free your phone from Big Tech^^
REPOSITORIES :
This list includes apps from the official f-droid repo but also from IzzyOnDroid and some customs repositories which will be always linked so you can add them easily.
CATEGORIES :
F-Droid clients
Utilities
Social & Communication / 8 subcategories
Health / 7 subcategories
Customization / 3 subcategories
Gaming / 3 subcategories
Internet / 6 subcategories
Productivity / 15 subcategories
Privacy / 5 subcategories
Security / 4 subcategories
Media apps / 10 subcategories
If you care about privacy check :
Privacy focused OS for everyone
My privacy and user friendly setup
For more FOSS Android apps check : Beautiful Open Source Apps for Android
DISCLAIMERS :
Adding custom repo might not be as secure as the official one so I'm not responsable if you encounter any problems with them ! I encourage you to do your own research about it !
Also while open source is great for privacy and security it is not perfect. So keep that in mind before downloading any apps.
Most apps that I've listed are privacy friendly but some might be not be perfectly private and secure. I again encourage you to do your own research about them.
I am not a privacy and security expert. I'm also don't consider myself as a developper so I do not have any technical knowledge and so I didn't look into any source code of any apps in this list !
English is not my mother tongue ^^'
Beautiful Open Source Apps for Android (nice & modern UI/UX)
UI = User Interface
UX = User eXperience
Most open source apps offer out-dated or classic material design UI. If the apps works great and the UX is not terrible you might find it okay. But intuitive UI are better, and modern looking ones are pleasant to use, sadly they are not the majority. Here is my list of Beautiful Open Source Apps for your android device !
Apps are listed in alphabetical order !
Also look at : The ultimate F-Droid setup for more open source android apps.
and Beautiful Open Source Apps for iOS for your iOS device
DISCLAIMERS
Nice UI comes to personnal preference. So this list is only based on my taste of what is a good modern looking app.
While open source is great for privacy and security it is not perfect. So keep that in mind before downloading any apps.
I again encourage you to do your own research about them and read their Privacy Policies.
I am not a privacy and security expert. I'm also don't consider myself as a developper so I do not have any technical knowledge and so I didn't look into any source code of any apps in this list !
Beautiful Open Source Apps for iOS (nice & modern UI/UX)
UI = User Interface
UX = User eXperience
Open source apps are known for bad/inintuitive design. If the apps works great and the UX is not terrible you might find it okay. But intuitive UI are better, and modern looking ones are pleasant to use, sadly they are not the majority. Here is my list of Beautiful Open Source Apps for your iPhone !
Apps are listed in alphabetical order !
Also look at : Beautiful Open Source Apps for Android for more open source apps for an Android device.
DISCLAIMERS
Nice UI comes to personnal preference. So this list is only based on my taste of what is a good modern looking app.
While open source is great for privacy and security it is not perfect. So keep that in mind before downloading any apps.
I again encourage you to do your own research about them and read their Privacy Policies.
I am not a privacy and security expert. I'm also don't consider myself as a developper so I do not have any technical knowledge and so I didn't look into any source code of any apps in this list !
Official Links
Install from the command line
winget install -e --id Element.Elementbrew install --cask elementflatpak install flathub im.riot.Riot
Developed by
Element Licensing
Open Source (AGPL-3.0) and Free Personal product.Pricing
Subscription ranging between $3 and $4 per month.Written in
Rating
Average rating of 4.3Alternatives
363 alternatives listedNews
9 news article related to ElementBadge
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AlternativeTo Categories
Social & Communications, Security & Privacy, Office & Productivity, Remote Work & Education, File Sharing, Online ServicesApple AppStore
- Updated
- 3.31 avg rating
GitHub repository
- 13,590 Stars
- 2,794 Forks
- 3688 Open Issues
- Updated
Comments and Reviews
This excellent project is in beta but it has already the following features:
It's exciting to see what this will be in a year from now. There are still a few niggles to sort out:
*Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be like that. Turtl and other show text in encrypted clients can be searchable. Have an index file, decrypt it locally and search it locally. Don't understand why it's not done more often.
Also, I'm quietly hoping that ghastly green colour won't be the default and put people off. (Don't worry - you can pick different colours for different rooms.)
Does it have Team Viewer-like remote control, Teams-like file history and ability to lock contact lists, i.e. contacts controlled by admin only? Looking for something for a little business.
#coth -no, it has no remote control (yet), but Wire has (or only viewer, i am not sure) try it
I would like to like Element. It has some feature that I would like to get from Discord. Like the ability to get every channels you are interested in in one place.
My problem is that it's very complicated to understand and VERY VERY bloated. It doesn't even work on my computer. I don't even talk about the Electron app. I am only speaking of the website. Each time I switch from a chat to another Firefox freeze.
It takes privacy & security seriously and its video-call features are especially great despite not being widely known as a Discord alternative.
THE replacement for Teams
I like Element because it is not an alternative to Discord. Wait, that doesn't make sense? It does. Here's why:
It's not for your average user. Even for technical people like me, it takes time to set up. Inviting your average Discord user to Element as a Discord alternative is counterproductive to the goal. Element is the least user friendly Discord alternative and it will likely drive people away from finding an alternative if introduced to any Matrix client.
Key takeaways:
Why I didn't rate it 5 stars: It's a headache to set up. Otherwise, solid platform.
It's killer features are its privacy, and perhaps its reimagining of spaces, but it lacks core features of more popular programs it gets advertised to replace, such as custom emojis, or even customized name-color (both after almost a decade), and having a very weird permission structure. The overall philosophy around space & room creation makes the active use feel obtuse, and it gives the idea that the people developing don't actually use it.
It's neat that you can give each room its own profile picture, and put spaces within spaces, but if it actually seeks to be the program for even the hardcore PC user, it's in its infancy yet.
Element is realy very good. Is open-source, super secure, modern... but element don't have many users