Element Call vs Peer-calls
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Element Call
Encrypted group video calls on Matrix
VS
Peer-calls
Group peer to peer video calls for everyone
| Feature | Element Call | Peer-calls |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 984 | ★ 1,903 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Zoom, Google Meet | BigBlueButton, Skype, Zoom |
Why pick each one
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Choose Peer-calls if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Call or Peer-calls better?
Peer-calls is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Element Call if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Element Call and Peer-calls free and open-source?
Yes. Element Call is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Peer-calls under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Call and Peer-calls with Docker?
Element Call: yes. Peer-calls: check the project docs for container support.