head to head · open source
Element vs docker-nginx-certbot
Element has 13,634 GitHub stars, 2,814 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. docker-nginx-certbot has 1,210 stars, 195 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Element leads on adoption by 1,027% (13,634 vs 1,210 stars). Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; docker-nginx-certbot is written in Shell under MIT. Element has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, docker-nginx-certbot 16%. Element was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (hacktoberfest), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | docker-nginx-certbot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 14K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 195 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Element if
- You weight community size — 14K 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 docker-nginx-certbot if
- You want the docker-nginx-certbot feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and docker-nginx-certbot fits your workflow better
About Element
Element Element (formerly known as Vector and Riot) is a Matrix web & desktop client built using the Matrix JS SDK. Supported Environments Element has several tiers of support for different environments: Supported Definition: Issues actively triaged , regressions block the release Last 2 major versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge on desktop OSes Last 2 versions of Safari Latest release of official Element Desktop app on desktop OSes Desktop OSes means macOS, Windows, and Linux versions for desktop devices that are actively supported by the OS vendor and receive security updates Best effort Definition: Issues…
read the full Element overview →
About docker-nginx-certbot
docker nginx certbot Automatically create and renew website SSL certificates using the [Let's Encrypt][1] free certificate authority and its client [ certbot ][2]. Built on top of the [official Nginx Docker images][9] (both Debian and Alpine), and uses OpenSSL/LibreSSL to automatically create the Diffie Hellman parameters used during the initial handshake of some ciphers. :information source: The very first time this container is started it might take a long time before it is ready to respond to requests. Read more about this in the Diffie Hellman parameters section. :information source: Please use a specific…
read the full docker-nginx-certbot overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Element or docker-nginx-certbot more popular?
Element has 13,634 GitHub stars and docker-nginx-certbot has 1,210. Element has the larger community by that measure.
Are Element and docker-nginx-certbot free?
Both are open source. Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and docker-nginx-certbot under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Element and docker-nginx-certbot?
Element is written in TypeScript and docker-nginx-certbot in Shell. 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 docker-nginx-certbot?
Choose Element if you want the larger community (13,634 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose docker-nginx-certbot if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.