Element vs Tinode

Comparing two open source alternatives to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger . 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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Tinode

GPL-3.0

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

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Side-by-side comparison

	Element	Tinode
License	AGPL-3.0	GPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	13,354	13,452
Forks	2,711	2,073
Open Issues	3,857	40
Last Commit	Aug 8, 2026	Aug 1, 2026
First Released	Jul 22, 2015	Nov 14, 2014
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	#chat #messaging #privacy #self hosted #voice chat	#messaging #chat #privacy #self hosted

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