Element Web vs gomuks
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
gomuks
Terminal-based Matrix client written in Go
| Feature | Element Web | gomuks |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,502 | ★ 1,727 |
| First released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Discord |
What are Element Web and gomuks?
Element Web
Element Web is the flagship Matrix client, providing a polished interface for chat, voice, and video over the Matrix protocol. It can be self-hosted alongside a homeserver for a fully owned communication stack.
- Full-featured Matrix client
- End-to-end encryption
- Voice and video calls
- Customizable branding
gomuks
gomuks is a terminal user interface client for the Matrix protocol. It supports end-to-end encryption and provides a keyboard-driven chat experience for people who prefer the command line.
- Terminal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Keyboard-driven
- Single Go binary
Element Web vs gomuks: key differences
Element Web is written in TypeScript, while gomuks is built with Go. Element Web is the more established project (first released 2016), while gomuks arrived in 2018. Element Web has the considerably larger community, at 13,502 GitHub stars versus 1,727. Element Web lists first-class Docker deployment; gomuks does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Element Web if…
- Most mature Matrix client
- Active development
Watch out for
- Heavier than minimal clients
- Best paired with own homeserver
Choose gomuks if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or gomuks better?
Neither is universally better. Element Web has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Element Web and gomuks free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and gomuks under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and gomuks with Docker?
Element Web: yes. gomuks: check the project docs for container support.