Element Web vs Pantalaimon
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?
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
Pantalaimon
End-to-end encryption-aware Matrix reverse proxy
| Feature | Element Web | Pantalaimon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 331 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Pantalaimon if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or Pantalaimon better?
Element Web is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pantalaimon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Element Web and Pantalaimon free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pantalaimon under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and Pantalaimon with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Pantalaimon: yes.