Element Web vs Prose
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?
| Feature | Element Web | Prose |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 58 |
| First released | 2016 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal |
Why pick each one
Choose Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or Prose 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 Prose free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Prose under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and Prose with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Prose: check the project docs for container support.