head to head · open source
Element vs Wire
Element has 13,461 GitHub stars, 2,759 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Wire has 2,549 stars, 180 forks, 173 open issues and last shipped 9 months ago. Element leads on adoption by 428% (13,461 vs 2,549 stars). Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Wire is written in various languages under GPL-3.0. Element has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, Wire 7%. 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 | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 13K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | — |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-01-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 180 |
| 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 Wire if
- You want the Wire feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- You evaluated both and Wire 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 Wire
Wire is an open source secure collaboration platform whose GitHub overview repository gathers code for clients, encryption, audio/video/signaling, server components, and protocol definitions. It lives in the security and privacy ecosystem, specifically data security and privacy.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Element or Wire more popular?
Element has 13,461 GitHub stars and Wire has 2,549. Element has the larger community by that measure.
Are Element and Wire free?
Both are open source. Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wire under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Element and Wire?
Element is written in TypeScript and Wire in various languages. 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 Wire?
Choose Element if you want the larger community (13,461 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Wire if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.