Element (Web) vs Mattermost
| Tagline | Matrix-based secure messenger and Slack alternative with end-to-end encryption | Open-source, self-hostable Slack alternative for secure team messaging and collaboration |
| Category | Team Chat & Collaboration | Team Chat & Collaboration |
| Replaces | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord |
| GitHub stars | 13k | 39k |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Self-host difficulty | 4/5 Involved | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Docker Manual | One-Click Docker Docker Compose Kubernetes Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | yesterday | yesterday |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Element (Web)
- Requires running and maintaining a separate Matrix homeserver (e.g. Synapse) for a full deployment
- End-to-end encryption key management and device verification can confuse non-technical users
- Performance and load times lag native Slack/Teams clients in large rooms
- Threads and search are less refined than Slack
Mattermost
- Many advanced features (LDAP/AD, SAML/SSO, compliance exports, high availability) are gated behind paid Enterprise tiers
- Search and message UX feel less polished than Slack
- Voice/video calling is more limited than Teams' full meetings stack
- Smaller third-party app/integration marketplace than Slack
Bottom line
Choose Mattermost if you want the lower-effort setup; choose Mattermost for the larger community and ecosystem. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Element (Web)
Matrix-based secure messenger and Slack alternative with end-to-end encryption
Mattermost
Open-source, self-hostable Slack alternative for secure team messaging and collaboration