Element

Element is the flagship client for the Matrix open protocol, giving you encrypted messaging, voice calls, video conferencing, and community spaces — all without relying on any single company's servers. Because Matrix is federated, your Element account can communicate with anyone on any Matrix homeserver, much like email works across providers.

You can self-host your own Matrix homeserver (Synapse or Dendrite) and run Element against it, keeping every message and file on infrastructure you control. Rooms and spaces work similarly to Discord servers and channels: you can have public community spaces, private group rooms, and direct messages in one unified interface.

Compared to Discord, Element gives you true data sovereignty, end-to-end encryption by default, and no dependency on a for-profit platform. It is especially well-suited for privacy-conscious communities, open-source projects, and organizations that need auditable, self-hosted communication infrastructure.