Element vs Mattermost: Complete Comparison (2026)
In comparing Element and Mattermost in 2026, Mattermost is the stronger choice for enterprises needing data sovereignty and self-hosting due to full data control. Element excels for privacy-focused organizations wanting decentralized, federated messaging with decentralized and open-source. Element offers End-to-end encryption, Federation, Self-hosting starting at $5/user/mo (cloud) with a free plan. Mattermost provides Self-hosted deployment, Channels, DevOps integrations from $10/user/mo (cloud) with a free tier. For teams prioritizing value, Mattermost delivers a hiltonsoftware Score of 74/100. Element and Mattermost compete in the team communication segment of the SaaS market, where cloud-native solutions, API integrations, and workflow automation drive enterprise and SMB adoption. Other leading team communication tools include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord. Element serves 1M+ users globally (founded 2017) while Mattermost reports 800K+ active users (founded 2015).
Element vs Mattermost at a Glance
What are the main differences between Element and Mattermost?
Element and Mattermost differ across ease of use, features, value, support, integrations, scalability, and learning curve. Mattermost leads in 5 of 7 categories.
What are the pros and cons of Element vs Mattermost?
Which is better, Element or Mattermost?
After evaluating Element and Mattermost across features, pricing, integrations, and user satisfaction, Mattermost earns a higher hiltonsoftware Score of 74/100 versus Element at 73/100. Mattermost stands out for "full data control" and "strong security features". Element delivers competitive advantages in "decentralized and open-source", making Element a viable alternative.
Both Element and Mattermost offer free plans. Element paid plans start at $5/user/mo (cloud) while Mattermost begins at $10/user/mo (cloud). ROI depends on which features justify upgrading.
Bottom line: Choose Element for privacy-focused organizations wanting decentralized, federated messaging. Choose Mattermost for enterprises needing data sovereignty and self-hosting. Both Element and Mattermost are established team communication platforms.
Privacy-focused organizations wanting decentralized, federated messaging.
Enterprises needing data sovereignty and self-hosting.
Element vs Mattermost: Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons
Reviewed by Alex Chen, SaaS & Productivity Analyst. Last updated: 2026-04-24. Pricing verified: March 2026.
Read our scoring methodology to understand how the hiltonsoftware Score is calculated.