Element vs Quiet

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.

Visit Full details

Quiet

GPL-3.0

Private, peer-to-peer Slack and Discord alternative built on Tor and IPFS that needs no servers and no accounts.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Element	Quiet
License	AGPL-3.0	GPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	No
GitHub Stars	13,641	2,660
Forks	2,814	150
Open Issues	3,695	770
Last Commit	Nov 4, 2026	Nov 2, 2026
First Released	Jul 22, 2015	Dec 14, 2021
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	#chat #messaging #privacy #self hosted #voice chat	—

GitHub stars over time

Element

Quiet2,660

Similar open source alternatives

Mumble

Low-latency, open-source voice chat built for gaming — self-host your own server with no subscription required.

Alternative to:

Discord

Chatto

A self-hosted chat application for teams and communities with video calls, voice calls, and screen sharing.

Alternative to:

Slack

Huly

All-in-one open source platform that combines project management, CRM, chat, HR, and wiki as an alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, and Notion.

Alternative to:

Notion

Bytedesk

Open source AI-powered omnichannel customer service platform that combines live chat, ticketing, and team collaboration as an alternative to Slack, Zendesk, Intercom, and HubSpot.

Alternative to:

Slack

Tinode

Instant messaging platform with self-hosted backend in Go and clients for iOS, Android, web, and command line.

Alternative to:

Sharkord

Self-hosted chat server with voice, video, text, and screen sharing — Discord-like features on your own infrastructure.

Alternative to:

Discord