head to head · open source
Mattermost vs Element
Mattermost has 39,093 GitHub stars, 9,000 forks, 1,012 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Element has 13,461 stars, 2,759 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Mattermost leads on adoption by 190% (39,093 vs 13,461 stars). Mattermost is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Mattermost has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, Element 20%. Mattermost 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
| Mattermost | Element | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 13K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.0K | ⑂ 2.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Mattermost if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Element if
- You want the Element feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Element fits your workflow better
About Mattermost
Mattermost is an open core, self hosted collaboration platform for teams that need secure chat, workflow automation, voice calling, screen sharing, and AI integration while keeping the deployment under their own control.
read the full Mattermost overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mattermost or Element more popular?
Mattermost has 39,093 GitHub stars and Element has 13,461. Mattermost has the larger community by that measure.
Are Mattermost and Element free?
Both are open source. Mattermost has no licence declared in this registry, and Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Mattermost and Element?
Mattermost is written in TypeScript and Element in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Mattermost or Element?
Choose Mattermost if you want the larger community (39,093 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Element if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.