Element

Open Source

Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s…

Unlimited Free TierOpen Source

Free plan checked against Element's pricing page on 2 September 2026. Re-checked monthly.

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About Element

Element is the flagship client for the Matrix protocol, an end-to-end encrypted, federated messenger used by governments, open source projects and privacy-minded teams. It replaces Slack or Teams for organisations that want to own their chat server. The free option is the Community tier: the app and server software are open source under AGPL.

What the free plan gives you

The Element app on web, desktop, iOS and Android, free of charge
A free account on the public matrix.org homeserver, or your own self-hosted server using Element Server Suite Community
End-to-end encrypted rooms and direct messages
Element Call for voice and video, included in the Community suite
Federation with every other Matrix server, and bridges to other networks
No user, room or message caps when self-hosted

Where the free plan stops

Community is licensed for non-professional deployments and evaluations. The moment you run it for a business, Element's terms point you to the Enterprise tier, which is priced per seat per month with a minimum of 100 users and quoted by sales. Sovereign is priced per deployment for air-gapped installs. Enterprise adds long-term support builds, advanced admin tooling, SLA support and enterprise-grade performance tuning. Hosted plans from Element Matrix Services are also quote-based.

Who it suits

Individuals, open source communities and small volunteer groups can run Element for nothing indefinitely, either on matrix.org or a $10 VPS. A company with under 100 people is in an awkward spot: too small for Enterprise, but outside the Community licence. If that is you, self-host Synapse under its own open source terms or budget for a hosted Matrix provider.

Key Features

TRUSTED BY SECURE ORGANIZATIONS

Collaboration in isolation.

Connectivity between organisations

Independence from siloed systems

Resilient communications.

Alternative to Microsoft Teams.

Mission partner environments.

OUR PARTNERS

Pros & Cons

Open source — self-host it for nothing

Free tier has no hard usage ceiling

Covers tRUSTED BY SECURE ORGANIZATIONS on the free plan

Free plan verified against the vendor's pricing page

Vendor does not publish a clear free-plan breakdown

The free plan in practice

What you can actually do on Element's free plan (Free Matrix client and homeserver), where it stops, and when it's worth paying.

What you can do free

Element app on web, desktop, iOS and Android
Free matrix.org account or self-hosted server
End-to-end encrypted chat, voice and video (Element Call)
Federation with all Matrix servers and bridges
Open source under AGPL, no seat limits when self-hosted

Where it stops

Community tier is for non-professional use and evaluation
Enterprise needs at least 100 seats, priced by sales
No SLA, LTS builds or advanced admin tooling on Community

When to upgrade to a paid plan

Element is open source, so self-hosting is free and unlimited. The only reason to pay is convenience: choose a hosted or cloud option when you'd rather not run and maintain it yourself, or need official support.