head to head · open source
Element vs SAMA
Element has 13,634 GitHub stars, 2,814 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SAMA has 161 stars, 16 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 29 days ago. Element leads on adoption by 8,368% (13,634 vs 161 stars). Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; SAMA is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. Element has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, SAMA 10%. 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 | SAMA | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 14K | ★ 161 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 16 |
| 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 SAMA if
- You want the SAMA feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and SAMA 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 SAMA
SAMA Simple but Advanced Messaging Alternative Chat server Powered by uWebSockets.js Motivation The intention of our messaging protocol and chat server, which are different from others, is to provide an alternative solution to the wide spread XMPP messaging protocol (and to be honest — the only wide spread ‘standard’ these days). Read complete medium posts Introducing SAMA and What is SAMA about what is SAMA and what problems we are trying to solve with it: Clients: Frontend Web app Flutter app Development & Deployment Local Development / Compete Deployment & E2E Tests DEMO The whole SAMA stack can be tested…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Element or SAMA more popular?
Element has 13,634 GitHub stars and SAMA has 161. Element has the larger community by that measure.
Are Element and SAMA free?
Both are open source. Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SAMA under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Element and SAMA?
Element is written in TypeScript and SAMA in JavaScript. 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 SAMA?
Choose Element if you want the larger community (13,634 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose SAMA if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.