Element is a Matrix-based secure messenger and collaboration app with end-to-end encryption, group calls, and file sharing. It targets individuals, teams, and public institutions that want to self-host their own messaging network instead of renting one.
Element is a client for Matrix, an open standard for real-time communication, and it delivers messaging, group voice and video calls, and file sharing inside a conversation timeline that feels familiar from mainstream chat apps. A typical setup begins by choosing a homeserver: the public Matrix network for a quick start, a hosted service, or your own server for full control. You register an account, join or create rooms, and organize them into spaces that mirror teams, projects, or departments. Because Matrix is federated, people on different servers can talk to each other without merging accounts, and encryption is on by default for messages, calls, and attachments.
The organizational case is usually sovereignty. Self-hosting means your message history, media, and identity data sit on infrastructure you choose, whether a managed service or machines you run yourself, and data export protects against lock-in. Administrators can connect the deployment to existing directory services for authentication and provisioning, apply retention rules, audit conversations for compliance, and set whether the server federates openly, only with named partners, or not at all. Bridges link rooms to tools teams already use, so a Slack or Teams channel can appear inside the timeline, and widgets embed whiteboards, task trackers, or video rooms into a conversation. Anyone comparing it with a closed commercial suite such as Wire will notice the difference in control.
The upside of Element is that you get modern chat ergonomics without handing your conversations to a vendor. Threads keep busy rooms readable, replies and reactions handle quick exchanges, read receipts and typing indicators show who is present, and polls, voice messages, and location sharing cover the small jobs that would otherwise spill into email. Calls are end-to-end encrypted for one-to-one and group conversations, and a standalone conferencing page lets guests join a meeting in a browser without installing anything. Device verification ties a login to a verified key, and cross-signing lets people confirm devices with a QR code or an emoji string instead of reading fingerprints aloud. Because the network is decentralized, an outage at one provider does not take the whole conversation down, and because the protocol is open, clients and bots can be built by anyone, including your own developers. For regulated organizations, that combination of encryption, auditable administration, and data residency is the reason to move.
Key capabilities and highlights.
Element encrypts messages, attachments, and calls for the participants only, and that protection is enabled out of the box rather than buried behind a setting. Administrators can deliberately configure rooms without encryption when a use case demands it, but the default posture protects everyday discussion and nobody has to remember to switch it on.
Spaces group rooms into a hierarchy that matches departments, projects, or working groups, and permissions can be inherited or overridden at each level. Instead of scattering links to individual chats, you publish one entry point that new joiners browse themselves, which keeps a large deployment understandable and makes onboarding considerably faster.
Conversations support threads that keep side discussions out of the main timeline, plus replies, reactions, message edits, read receipts, typing indicators, file attachments, voice messages, polls, and location sharing. The result is a chat surface close enough to mainstream messengers that nobody needs training, while the underlying protocol stays open and portable.
Voice and video calling works for one-to-one and group conversations with end-to-end encryption applied to the media. A call can also be opened as a standalone conference page, so external participants join from a browser without installing the client, which helps when working with partners who will not adopt your chat tool.
Each login is tied to a cryptographic key, and cross-signing lets people confirm a new device by scanning a QR code or comparing an emoji string rather than reading long fingerprints aloud. Verified sessions build a trusted identity for the account, and a lost or stolen device can be revoked from the same verification screen.
Deployments can federate openly with the wider Matrix network, connect only to named partner organizations, or remain closed, while guest access and knocking controls decide how outsiders request entry. That flexibility lets two companies exchange encrypted messages across separate servers while each side keeps ownership of its own data and user accounts.
Bridges link rooms to services a team already depends on, so activity from another chat platform appears inside the timeline instead of fragmenting attention. Bots automate routine tasks, and widgets embed tools such as whiteboards, project trackers, or video rooms directly into a conversation, turning the messenger into a workspace rather than a single-purpose app.
Deployments can authenticate against existing directory systems, provision accounts automatically, serve users from a custom domain, and give administrators moderation, retention, and auditing controls. Data export avoids lock-in, and flexible hosting options, including isolated networks, support organizations with strict residency, accessibility, or information classification requirements.
Browse historical releases and previous builds.
Common questions about Element.
Element is an end-to-end encrypted messenger and collaboration app built on the Matrix open standard. It handles one-to-one and group chat, voice and video calls, file sharing, and integrations such as bridges and widgets. Because Matrix is decentralized, you can use a public server, a managed hosting service, or run your own.
The Element app is free to download and use on the public Matrix network, so an individual can start chatting without paying anything. Organizations typically pay for supported hosting or a server suite that adds administrative controls, identity integration, compliance tooling, and service level agreements.
Conversations are end-to-end encrypted by default, so only the people in a room can decrypt its content, including voice and video calls. Devices are verified through cross-signing, which confirms that a login belongs to the right person, and administrators cannot read message content even though they can still manage accounts, retention, and moderation.
Yes, and that is a common reason people choose it. You can host your own Matrix homeserver so message history, media, and identity data stay on infrastructure you control, or use a managed hosting provider if you would rather not operate servers yourself. Data export features make it possible to move to another arrangement later.
Two mechanisms help. Federation lets separate Matrix servers exchange messages, so people on your Element deployment can reach contacts in another organization running Matrix. Bridges go further by linking rooms to other platforms a team already uses, letting activity from those services appear alongside your own conversations.
Yes. Group voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted, and a standalone conferencing page lets participants join from a browser without installing the client, which makes meetings with external partners easier to arrange. Organizations that want whiteboard-style collaboration can embed additional tools into a room as widgets.
Most secure messengers operate a single network that one vendor controls, so accounts, identity, and data all live in that company's infrastructure. Building on an open standard means other organizations can host their own servers, connect across deployments, and even build independent clients, which reduces dependence on any single provider.
Element is a Matrix-based secure messenger and collaboration app with end-to-end encryption, group calls, and file sharing. It targets individuals, teams, and public institutions that want to self-host their own messaging network instead of renting one.
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