Skip to content
BetterOpenSource

Zulip vs Element

A side-by-side comparison of two open-source tools to help you choose the right one.

Feature
SummaryThreaded team chat that scales with focus.Secure, decentralized chat on Matrix.
GitHub stars22K12K
LicenseApache 2.0AGPL 3.0
LanguagePythonTypeScript
PricingFree & Open SourceFree & Open Source
Self-hostable
ReplacesSlack, DiscordSlack, Discord, Microsoft Teams
Rating4.5 / 54.3 / 5

Zulip features

  • Topic-based threading within channels
  • Powerful search and keyboard navigation
  • Markdown, code blocks, and LaTeX
  • Integrations and incoming webhooks
  • Self-hosted or cloud

Element features

  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
  • Decentralized, federated rooms
  • Voice and video calls
  • Bridges to Slack, Discord, IRC
  • Self-host your own homeserver

Zulippros & cons

Pros

  • Best-in-class for async clarity
  • Excellent for large communities
  • Fully open and self-hostable

Cons

  • Threading model takes adjustment
  • UI is dense for newcomers

Elementpros & cons

Pros

  • Strong encryption and decentralization
  • Bridges to other networks
  • No vendor lock-in

Cons

  • Running a homeserver takes effort
  • UX less slick than commercial apps

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...