Element Web vs Mattermost
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 Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
Mattermost
Secure collaboration for developer teams
| Feature | Element Web | Mattermost |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Team Chat |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 38,708 |
| First released | 2016 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Mattermost if…
- Great for technical teams
- Strong security posture
- Good integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or Mattermost better?
Neither is universally better. Mattermost has the larger community, while Element Web is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Element Web and Mattermost free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mattermost under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and Mattermost with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Mattermost: yes.