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Element Review

Depends

Should I use Element?

Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app, decentralised for self-hosting or managed hosting. - element.io

· 1 month ago

Buy if you are a government, regulated org, or team needing self-hosted E2EE and data sovereignty. Skip it if you want simple, zero-admin chat — Slack or Signal fit better.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14 public sources; no public pricing or numeric review scores found.

Ratings

  • Value for moneyNo public pricing in sources
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

Not disclosed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Governments and public sector
  • Sovereignty-focused, self-hosting orgs
  • Security-conscious distributed teams
  • Cross-organisation federated messaging

Not for

  • Small teams wanting a simple Slack replacement
  • Buyers with no admin or dev resources
  • Anyone needing zero-setup, consumer-simple messaging
  • Teams needing published per-seat pricing upfront

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Pricing is not published; expect a sales conversation for hosted plans

medium

Self-hosting means you own uptime, upgrades, and key management forever

medium

E2EE benefits only land if you train users — a stated industry challenge

Pros and cons

Pros

  • End-to-end encryption by default across messaging and collaboration
  • Built on open, not-for-profit Matrix protocol — interoperable, no single vendor
  • Option to self-host or use managed Element Matrix Services hosting
  • Trusted for nationwide deployments, including many governments
  • Named in Forrester Wave for Secure Communications, Q3 2022

Cons

  • Encryption and decentralisation require user education and onboarding
  • Self-hosting pushes maintenance and operations onto your own team
  • Aimed at nationwide-scale deployments; heavier than small teams need

Sources & method

- 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x4news x4

Key stats

  • Ease of use: 3/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money. No public pricing in sources
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Reviewers say users need educating
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Complete E2EE collaboration, federated and decentralised
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 4/5. E2EE default, open protocol, government deployments
  • 1M+ Users as of early 2024
  • $25.4M Funding raised 2021 round
  • Forrester Wave Analyst recognition Secure Communications, Q3 2022

Pricing

Not disclosed

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Reviews call Element genuinely appealing for security, while coverage stresses users need education to use it well.

“Element is a genuinely interesting and appealing secure messaging”
TechRadar review

Alternatives

Compare Element with each alternative.

  • Signal

    Simpler E2EE messaging if you don't need federation

  • Slack

    Easier team chat when encryption isn't the priority

    Element vs Slack

  • Mattermost

    Self-hosted team chat with less protocol complexity

  • Discord

    Free community chat for less security-critical teams

Companies that use it

  • British Geriatrics Society⁹
Full analysis

Based on 14 public sources; no public pricing or numeric review scores found.

Secure, federated Slack alternative for sovereignty-minded orgs; overkill if you just need simple team chat.

Methodology

Based on 14 public sources; no public pricing or numeric review scores found.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Element | Secure collaboration and messagingelement.io
    official
  2. Element secure messenger review - TechRadartechradar.com
    review
  3. 'The challenge is educating people:' Element's quest to encrypt remote workspacestechradar.com
    news
  4. Element Reviews & Ratings 2026 - TrustRadiustrustradius.com
    review
  5. Element Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - SoftwareAdvicesoftwareadvice.com
    review
  6. Element bags $25.4M - SiliconCanalssiliconcanals.com
    news
  7. Messaging app used by governments raises £22m - BusinessCloudbusinesscloud.co.uk
    news
  8. The Forrester Wave: Secure Communications, Q3 2022try.element.io
    news
  9. British Geriatrics Society case studydrupology.co.uk
    official
  10. element — pricing, use cases & alternatives - CostPerSeatcostperseat.com
    review

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