Element vs Linen

Comparing two open source alternatives to Discord and Slack . Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Element

AGPL-3.0

Open-source Matrix client for secure, decentralized messaging, voice, and video — runs on your own server.

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Linen

AGPL-3.0

Lightweight, Google-searchable open source Slack and Discord alternative designed for online communities.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Element	Linen
License	AGPL-3.0	AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	13,230	2,773
Forks	2,665	108
Open Issues	3,693	136
Last Commit	Jun 19, 2026	Dec 9, 2024
First Released	Jul 22, 2015	Feb 15, 2022
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	#chat #messaging #privacy #self hosted #voice chat	—

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