SHSelfHostIndex

Element Call vs ZNC

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
EL Element Call Encrypted group video calls on Matrix VS ZN ZNC Advanced and flexible IRC bouncer
FeatureElement CallZNC
CategoryMatrix & XMPPMatrix & XMPP
LicenseAGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptC++
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB64 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 984★ 2,123
First released20222004
ReplacesZoom, Google MeetIRCCloud

Why pick each one

Choose Element Call if…

  • Strong encryption
  • Federated via Matrix
  • No app install needed
Element Call details

Choose ZNC if…

  • Very stable and mature
  • Highly configurable
ZNC details

Frequently asked questions

Is Element Call or ZNC better?

ZNC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Element Call if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Element Call and ZNC free and open-source?

Yes. Element Call is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ZNC under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Element Call and ZNC with Docker?

Element Call: yes. ZNC: yes.

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