head to head · open source
Element vs Certipy
Element has 13,470 GitHub stars, 2,757 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Certipy has 3,670 stars, 484 forks, 25 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Element leads on adoption by 267% (13,470 vs 3,670 stars). Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Certipy is written in Python under MIT. Element has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, Certipy 13%. Element was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Element | Certipy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 13K | ★ 3.7K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-07-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 484 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Element if
- You weight community size — 13K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Certipy if
- You want the Certipy feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Certipy fits your workflow better
About Element
Element is a Matrix collaboration client for the web and desktop, and its tagline describes it as secure, decentralized messaging for teams and individuals. It is built with the Matrix JS SDK and lives in the Matrix ecosystem as an open alternative to Slack and Google Meet.
read the full Element overview →
About Certipy
Certipy is an open source Python toolkit, published under the MIT licence on PyPI as certipy ad , for enumerating and abusing Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), built for red teamers, penetration testers, and defenders who need to assess AD CS misconfigurations in Windows Active Directory environments.
read the full Certipy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Element or Certipy more popular?
Element has 13,470 GitHub stars and Certipy has 3,670. Element has the larger community by that measure.
Are Element and Certipy free?
Both are open source. Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Certipy under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Element and Certipy?
Element is written in TypeScript and Certipy in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Element or Certipy?
Choose Element if you want the larger community (13,470 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Certipy if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.