Element vs Rocket.Chat

Comparing two open source alternatives to Discord. 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

Rocket.Chat

MIT

The communications platform that puts data protection first.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Element	Rocket.Chat
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	13,544	46,217
Forks	2,787	13,954
Open Issues	3,729	4,197
Last Commit	Oct 6, 2026	Oct 6, 2026
First Released	Jul 22, 2015	May 19, 2015
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	#chat #messaging #privacy #self hosted #voice chat	#chat #collaboration

GitHub stars over time

Element

Rocket.Chat46,217

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