Element is the flagship end-to-end encrypted messenger built on the Matrix protocol, developed and maintained by Element (formerly New Vector). It is a decentralised, federated messaging client that puts you in control of your data: you can use it on a public homeserver, connect to the wider encrypted Matrix network, or point it at your own self-hosted server so your conversations never leave your infrastructure. Element spans web, desktop and mobile, all sharing the same security model and feature set.

Key Features

• End-to-end encryption: E2EE is on by default, secured with cross-signing and encrypted key backups so you never lose access to your history.
• Federated & decentralised: no single company or server owns the network; you choose which homeserver your data lives on.
• Self-host friendly: point Element at your own Synapse or conduit homeserver for full data control.
• Spaces & rooms: organise conversations, communities and links into Spaces with fine-grained permissions.
• Bridges: connect to Slack, Telegram, IRC, XMPP, WhatsApp and others through the Matrix bridge ecosystem.
• Voice & video calls: native calling and Jitsi/Element Call conferencing across every platform.
• Cross-platform: web app, Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and the Element X rewrite built on the matrix-rust-sdk.
• Open source: a fully transparent codebase you can audit, fork and host yourself.

Why Use Element?

Element is the reference client of the Matrix ecosystem — the same end-to-end encrypted, open-source messaging that the other tools on this page (Synapse, FluffyChat, SchildiChat) interoperate with. If you want encrypted chat that is genuinely decentralised and self-hostable rather than tied to a proprietary provider, Element is the most mature and actively developed way in.

Use Cases

• Private one-to-one and group messaging with true end-to-end encryption.
• Self-hosted team or family chat that stays on your own server while still federating when you want it to.
• Community building with Spaces, moderated rooms and guest access.
• Bridging legacy platforms such as Slack or IRC into one unified, encrypted inbox.

Platform

Linux · macOS · Windows · Android · iOS · Web

Licence

Open source — AGPL-3.0 (Element Web/Desktop and mobile apps).

Website

element.io · GitHub: element-hq/element-* · Pairs with Matrix Synapse, our recommended self-hosted homeserver.