head to head · open source
Mattermost vs Element
Mattermost has 39,510 GitHub stars, 9,087 forks, 1,012 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Element has 13,634 stars, 2,814 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Mattermost leads on adoption by 190% (39,510 vs 13,634 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 21%. 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 | ★ 40K | ★ 14K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 9.1K | ⑂ 2.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Mattermost if
- You weight community size — 40K 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 that offers chat, workflow automation, voice calling, screen sharing, and AI integration. This repo is the primary source for core development on the Mattermost platform; it's written in Go and React, runs as a single Linux binary, and relies on PostgreSQL. A new compiled version is released under an MIT license every month on the 16th. Deploy Mattermost on premises, or try it for free in the cloud. Learn more about the following use cases with Mattermost: DevSecOps Incident Resolution IT Service Desk Other useful resources: Download and Install…
read the full Mattermost overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mattermost or Element more popular?
Mattermost has 39,510 GitHub stars and Element has 13,634. 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 (39,510 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.