Alternatives
Best Element alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Element alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/element
4 direct alternatives to Element and 4 more tools in the same category, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- Slack is the top alternative to Element on our list, followed by Mattermost and Rocket.Chat.
- 6 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan, starting with Slack.
- Highest rated: Microsoft Teams, 4.4 out of 5 from 30,473 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 8 alternatives
- 4 direct
- 6 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Element
Slack
#1 Top pickCentral hub for workplace communication and collaboration
Starting price
From $8.75 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.2 /5 across Trustpilot, TrustRadius, PeerSpot and more · 64,990 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Mattermost
#2Open-source team collaboration platform
Starting price
From $10 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.3 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra · 604 ratings, Sep 2026
Rocket.Chat
#3Open-source team communication platform
Starting price
From $8 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.2 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 530 ratings, Sep 2026
Element vs 8 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: $5/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 43 ratings on G2 (43) | |
| Price: $8.75/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 64,990 ratings across Trustpilot, TrustRadius, PeerSpot and more (64,990) | Direct alternative |
| Price: $10/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.3 out of 5, from 604 ratings across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra (604) | Direct alternative |
| Price: $8/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 530 ratings across G2 and Capterra (530) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: $8.94/mo | Free plan: Yes | 3.9 out of 5, from 605 ratings across G2, Capterra and SourceForge (605) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: $4/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 30,473 ratings across G2 and Capterra (30,473) | Same category as Element |
 | Price: $7/mo | Free plan: No | 4.0 out of 5, from 66,052 ratings across Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra (66,052) | Same category as Element |
 | Price: $12/mo | Free plan: No | 4.3 out of 5, from 28,658 ratings across G2 and Capterra (28,658) | Same category as Element |
 | Price: $7/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 2,964 ratings across G2 and Trustpilot (2,964) | Same category as Element |
Why people consider alternatives to Element
Element is a secure messaging app built on the decentralized Matrix protocol. End-to-end encryption keeps conversations private. Self-host for complete control or use public servers. Bridges connect to Slack, Discord, and other platforms.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- Pricing at scale as usage or premium tiers add up.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in communication.
The 4 direct alternatives below cover the same core job (communication) with different trade-offs. The 4 tools marked "Same category as Element" fit the category but replace Element less directly.
Element by the numbers
Toolradar data: Element's entry paid plan ($5/user/mo, billed monthly) ranks #5 of 15 for price among the Internal Comms tools with a verified entry price per user, where the median is $6.67/user/mo. As of Nov 2026.
| Metric | Element | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $5/user/mo, billed monthly | $6.67/user/mo | #5 of 15 tools priced per user, verified price |
| Free plan | Yes | 28 of 39 have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 6 tools | 5 | #19 of 39 |
| User rating | 4.2/5 (across the web, 43 ratings) | 4.5/5 | #18 of 24 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 57 visits | 44 | #6 of 14 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Element with Mattermost and Signal (last 30 days, Nov 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #19 on 2026-10-16 to #19 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 39 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Internal Comms data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Element by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Communication leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Communication tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 96 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plivo | $0.50/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | Runbox | $0.66/mo, billed yearly |
| 3 | MyKidReports | $0.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | PortaOne Telecom Billing | $1/mo |
| 4 | Twilio Flex | $1/mo |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 55 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoho Mail | $1/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | Pumble | $2.49/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Troop Messenger | $2.50/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | Yac | $3/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Chanty | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
Most media coverage, last 30 days
Number of distinct articles published in the last 30 days by independent press, blogs and newsletters that mention the tool. A story carried by several outlets counts once; the vendor's own blog, review sites, forums and republishing sites do not count.
Counted among 8 tools mentioned in the last 30 days.
| # | Tool | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft 365 | 29 articles |
| 2 | Microsoft Teams | 14 articles |
| 3 | AirPods 5 | 5 articles |
| 3 | OpenClaw | 5 articles |
| 5 | Google Meet | 3 articles |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 151 of 291 Communication tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Communication leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Communication statistics.
8 alternatives to Element
Direct alternatives come first, ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. Tools marked "Same category as Element" follow, ranked the same way.
- 1
Slack
Free plan Battle-tested at scaleCentral hub for workplace communication and collaboration
4.2 /5 across Trustpilot, TrustRadius, PeerSpot and more · 64,990 ratings, Sep 2026
From $8.75/user/mo, billed yearly; free plan available
- 2
Mattermost
Free planOpen-source team collaboration platform
4.3 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra · 604 ratings, Sep 2026
From $10/user/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 3
Rocket.Chat
Free planOpen-source team communication platform
4.2 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 530 ratings, Sep 2026
From $8/user/mo, billed yearly; free plan available
- 4
Wire
Free planEnterprise-grade secure communications platform for messaging, calls, and file sharing.
3.9 /5 across G2, Capterra and SourceForge · 605 ratings, Sep 2026
From €8.94/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 5
Microsoft Teams
Free plan Higher rated by usersUnite chat, meetings, and files with Microsoft 365
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 30,473 ratings, Sep 2026
From $4/user/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
Same category as Element
- 6
Google Workspace
Paid Battle-tested at scaleAll-in-one business productivity suite with real-time collaboration
4.0 /5 across Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra · 66,052 ratings, Sep 2026
From $7/user/mo, billed yearly
Same category as Element
- 7
GoTo Meeting
Paid Battle-tested at scaleVideo conferencing for businesses
4.3 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 28,658 ratings, Sep 2026
From $12/mo, billed monthly
Same category as Element
- 8
Google Meet
Free plan Higher rated by usersSeamless video meetings for Google Workspace users
4.4 /5 across G2 and Trustpilot · 2,964 ratings, Sep 2026
From $7/user/mo, billed yearly; free plan available
Same category as Element
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Element?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Element are Slack, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Element?
There is no fully free alternative in this list. Slack is freemium: a permanent free tier plus paid plans (Central hub for workplace communication and collaboration).
Why do people look for Element alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Element: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in communication. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Element versus each alternative.
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