1M+
Users
as of early 2024
Report
Should I Use Element?
Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app, decentralised for self-hosting or managed hosting.
Depends
DependsBuy if you are a government, regulated org, or team needing self-hosted E2EE and data sovereignty.
Secure, federated Slack alternative for sovereignty-minded orgs; overkill if you just need simple team chat.
Confidence: Medium
$25.4M
Funding raised
2021 round
Forrester Wave
Analyst recognition
Secure Communications, Q3 2022
Ease of use
3
Reviewers say users need educating
Feature depth
4
Complete E2EE collaboration, federated and decentralised
Security posture
4
E2EE default, open protocol, government deployments
Pros
- End-to-end encryption by default across messaging and collaboration¹
- Built on open, not-for-profit Matrix protocol — interoperable, no single vendor⁶
- Option to self-host or use managed Element Matrix Services hosting¹
- Trusted for nationwide deployments, including many governments³
- Named in Forrester Wave for Secure Communications, Q3 2022⁸
Cons
Gotchas
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
Companies that use it
- British Geriatrics Society⁹
Security
No known public 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”
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 SlackMattermost
Self-hosted team chat with less protocol complexity
Discord
Free community chat for less security-critical teams
Full analysis
Based on 14 public sources; no public pricing or numeric review scores found.
Sources
official
- Element secure messenger review - TechRadartechradar.comreview
news
- Element Reviews & Ratings 2026 - TrustRadiustrustradius.comreview
- Element Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - SoftwareAdvicesoftwareadvice.comreview
- Element bags $25.4M - SiliconCanalssiliconcanals.comnews
- Messaging app used by governments raises £22m - BusinessCloudbusinesscloud.co.uknews
- The Forrester Wave: Secure Communications, Q3 2022try.element.ionews
- British Geriatrics Society case studydrupology.co.ukofficial
- element — pricing, use cases & alternatives - CostPerSeatcostperseat.comreview
Rate this review
Anonymous. You can change your vote.
Loading votes…
Ask a follow-up
Ask if a use case fits. Answers stay inside this report and its sources.
Comments
One queue. No replies. Give a display name first. Limit: 7 comments per day.
No comments yet.