Team chat · 2026
Element·vs·Mattermost
Two solid choices in team chat. Here's how they stack up on pricing, fit, and trade-offs — so you can decide in a minute.
Reviewed by Switchpoint Editors ·
Contender A
Element
End-to-end encrypted chat on the Matrix protocol.
- Privacy-first orgs and federated networks.
- Free. Hosted from $5/user/mo.
Best for
Pricing
Pros
- E2E encrypted
- Federated
Trade-offs
- UX less polished than Slack
Contender B
Mattermost
Open-source, self-hosted Slack alternative.
- Regulated industries and security-conscious teams.
- Free self-hosted. Pro $10/user/mo.
Best for
Pricing
Pros
- Self-hostable
- Strong compliance story
Trade-offs
- Requires ops resources
The matrix
Side-by-side
Best for
Element
Privacy-first orgs and federated networks.
Mattermost
Regulated industries and security-conscious teams.
Pricing
Element
Free. Hosted from $5/user/mo.
Mattermost
Free self-hosted. Pro $10/user/mo.
Top strength
Element
E2E encrypted
Mattermost
Self-hostable
Biggest trade-off
Element
UX less polished than Slack
Mattermost
Requires ops resources
The verdict
Which should you pick?
Privacy-first orgs and federated networks.
Regulated industries and security-conscious teams.
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