head to head · open source
Rocket.Chat vs Element
Rocket.Chat has 46,136 GitHub stars, 13,893 forks, 4,023 open issues and last shipped today. Element has 13,461 stars, 2,759 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Rocket.Chat leads on adoption by 243% (46,136 vs 13,461 stars). Rocket.Chat is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Rocket.Chat has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Element 20%. Rocket.Chat 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.
← all 13541 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Rocket.Chat | Element | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 13K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 14K | ⑂ 2.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Rocket.Chat if
- You weight community size — 46K 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 Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat is an open source, self hostable team communications platform written in TypeScript that gives organisations full ownership of their messaging, voice, and federation infrastructure instead of renting it from a closed SaaS vendor.
read the full Rocket.Chat 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 →
More in Business Software
Related comparisons
More Collaboration & Communication projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Collaboration & Communication field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rocket.Chat or Element more popular?
Rocket.Chat has 46,136 GitHub stars and Element has 13,461. Rocket.Chat has the larger community by that measure.
Are Rocket.Chat and Element free?
Both are open source. Rocket.Chat 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 Rocket.Chat and Element?
Rocket.Chat 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, Rocket.Chat or Element?
Choose Rocket.Chat if you want the larger community (46,136 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.