Element Web vs Nheko
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
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
| Feature | Element Web | Nheko |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 2,472 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or Nheko 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 Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and Nheko with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.