head to head · open source
Element vs Stoat
Element has 13,481 GitHub stars, 2,758 forks, 3,779 open issues and last shipped today. Stoat has 3,336 stars, 388 forks, 139 open issues and last shipped today. Element leads on adoption by 304% (13,481 vs 3,336 stars). Element is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Stoat is written in Rust under a custom or non-standard licence. Element has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, Stoat 12%. 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 | Stoat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 13K | ★ 3.3K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-20 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 388 |
| 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 Stoat if
- You want the Stoat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Stoat 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 Stoat
Stoat is a Rust backend project that provides the services and libraries powering the Stoat group chat service. The repository is organized around core crates for configuration, database implementation, files, API models, permissions, presence, result types, and a coalesced crate.
read the full Stoat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Element or Stoat more popular?
Element has 13,481 GitHub stars and Stoat has 3,336. Element has the larger community by that measure.
Are Element and Stoat free?
Both are open source. Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and Stoat has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Element and Stoat?
Element is written in TypeScript and Stoat in Rust. 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 Stoat?
Choose Element if you want the larger community (13,481 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Stoat if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.