element.io

What is Element?

Element is a secure messaging and collaboration app built on Matrix, an open, decentralised standard for real-time communication. It offers end-to-end encryption and can be self-hosted, so an organisation can run its own server rather than depend entirely on a vendor's cloud. Element also connects with other Matrix-based services, which means people on different servers or platforms can still communicate.

What that means in practice

• Sovereignty and control: Because Matrix is decentralised, a government department, company or community can operate its own homeserver and keep control of its data and user accounts.
• Interoperability: Different organisations—or different nations—running separate Matrix systems can federate, similar to how email servers exchange messages. This reduces the need for everyone to be on one proprietary platform.
• Isolated environments: Element supports air-gapped or high-side installations with no internet connection, which matters for defence, intelligence or other sensitive settings.
• Open source: The transparency of open code is a core part of the pitch, along with avoiding vendor lock-in.

Who it suits

A team that just wants a private chat app can use the free Element client. An organisation that needs to host its own communications, integrate with partners, or meet strict sovereignty requirements would look at the server and professional offerings, such as Element Server Suite or Element PRO. The trade-off is that self-hosting and federation add setup and administration work compared with a fully managed, centralised service.

Next step

If you are evaluating it, decide first whether you need a simple encrypted messenger or a self-hosted, federated collaboration platform. For the former, try the free app; for the latter, review the server and pricing options on Element. You can also read the Matrix standard documentation to understand federation and hosting requirements before committing.

How does Element ensure digital sovereignty for organizations?

Element ensures digital sovereignty by letting organizations run their own communications infrastructure on the open Matrix standard instead of renting space on a vendor-controlled platform. Sovereignty here means three practical things: you control where data lives, you choose who can administer it, and you can still talk to people outside your own system.

Self-hosting and control Element is built on Matrix, a decentralised open standard, so an organisation can host its own server rather than depend on a single proprietary provider. Element offers a self-hosted option and a managed server product for organisations that want the control without running everything themselves. Because the underlying standard is open, you are not locked to one vendor's client or cloud.

Interoperability across boundaries The page's central claim is "We're interoperable. So you're sovereign." Matrix federation works a bit like email: different organisations, vendors and even nations can connect their systems and exchange messages without merging into one platform. That matters for government departments, agencies and partner organisations that need to collaborate while keeping separate control of their own data.

Isolated and air-gapped deployments Element supports install and support for air-gapped, isolated and high-side instances with no internet connectivity. This is aimed at defence, intelligence and other environments where a normal cloud messenger is simply not an option. The page cites a Forrester Consulting study, commissioned by Element, finding that 64% of organisations expect demand for partner access to air-gapped or isolated environments to grow over the next two to three years — a vendor-commissioned figure, so treat it as directional rather than independent proof.

Who this suits

• Public sector and government bodies with data-residency or classification requirements
• Regulated industries that must keep control of message data and administration
• Organisations that need to message external partners without forcing them onto the same vendor
• IT teams willing to run or oversee infrastructure, rather than wanting a purely turnkey consumer app

Trade-offs to weigh Self-hosting and federation add operational work: someone must run servers, manage upgrades and handle identity. Federation also raises governance questions about which other servers you trust. If your team has no infrastructure capacity and no strict sovereignty requirement, a mainstream hosted messenger may be simpler. If sovereignty is the priority, the control is the point.

Next step Start by clarifying your requirement: data residency, air-gapped operation, or cross-organisation federation. Then compare Element's free app for personal use against its server products for organisations on the Element pricing page, and check the Matrix standard documentation to confirm interoperability with systems you already use.

What are the benefits of using Element for air-gapped or isolated networks?

Element is built on the Matrix open standard, which means an air-gapped or otherwise isolated deployment can still be a full collaboration environment rather than a cut-off island. The main benefit is that you get encrypted messaging and collaboration on infrastructure you control, without depending on an internet-connected provider.

What isolation actually buys you

• No internet dependency. Element supports install and support for air-gapped, isolated and high-side instances that need no internet connectivity, according to the site. That suits classified, defence, critical-infrastructure or regulated environments where outside connections are simply not allowed.
• Control over the whole stack. Because the server can be self-hosted, the organisation decides where data lives, who administers it and how it is patched — the sovereignty argument Element makes on its homepage.
• End-to-end encryption on the Matrix protocol. Messages are encrypted between participants, so an isolated network does not mean giving up secure messaging.
• A path out of isolation when policy allows. Matrix federation is vendor-agnostic and interoperable, so separate organisations or nations running different Matrix-based systems can communicate without adopting one vendor's platform. Think of it as SMTP for real-time communications, as the site puts it.

A concrete scenario

A government department runs an air-gapped Element instance for day-to-day internal work. A partner agency runs its own separate instance. When a joint project is approved, the two can federate over an approved link rather than forcing everyone onto a single central service — and the air-gapped side can stay disconnected for everything else.

The trade-offs to weigh

If your requirement is strictly "no internet, ever", start by confirming with Element (or a Matrix hosting provider) which deployment model fits your classification level, then pilot with a small group before rolling out. For general context on the open standard behind it, see Matrix.

How does Element enable interoperability between different organizations and nations?

Element enables interoperability through the Matrix open standard, which lets separate organizations run their own servers while still communicating across a shared, federated network. Each organization keeps control of its own data and infrastructure, but users can reach people in other organizations the same way email servers exchange messages. Element describes this as vendor-agnostic federation: different solutions from different vendors can work together, rather than forcing everyone onto one proprietary platform.

The practical mechanics matter more than the label. A user like @bob:matrix.org can message someone like @alice:element.io because both addresses live on the Matrix network, even though they belong to different homeservers. For cross-nation or cross-agency work, that means each side can host its own instance under its own rules, then federate where policy allows. Element also supports air-gapped, isolated and high-side instances with no internet connectivity, so organizations can keep sensitive work separated while still connecting deliberately where needed.

Who benefits most

• Governments and public institutions that need digital sovereignty but must coordinate across departments or borders.
• Regulated organizations that cannot accept vendor lock-in or a single central provider.
• Defense, diplomatic or critical-infrastructure teams that need resilient communications and isolated environments.

Trade-offs to weigh

• Federation gives independence, but someone must run and maintain the servers, or pay for a hosting service such as Element Matrix Services.
• Interoperability with other vendors depends on how fully they implement Matrix, so test the specific connections you need.
• Air-gapped and isolated setups improve security but reduce convenience and require deliberate bridging.

A useful next step is to map which partners or agencies you must communicate with, then check whether each can federate over Matrix or needs a controlled bridge. That tells you whether a self-hosted Element Server Suite deployment, a hosted option, or a hybrid fits your sovereignty and connectivity requirements.

What are the pricing options for Element and its server suite?

Element publishes a pricing page and separates personal use from organisational deployments, but the product line splits into two purchasing decisions: the app you and your colleagues use, and the server infrastructure behind it.

The two tracks

• Personal use: the free app is the entry point, aimed at individuals rather than organisations.
• Teams and organisations: Element points to a paid tier (marketed as "Get Pro") alongside Element Server Suite, described as a professionalised Matrix-based server that organisations can host themselves. There is also Element PRO, an app tier for organisations.

Where to check actual numbers

Element's own pricing page, Element, is the authoritative place for current figures, since licence terms here depend on deployment model, user count and hosting arrangement rather than a single flat rate. A self-hosted server suite and a hosted service are priced differently, and the site distinguishes self-hosted solutions from a hosting service such as Element Matrix Services.

A practical decision criterion

Ask two questions before comparing numbers: who runs the server (your infrastructure or a provider's), and whether you need isolated or air-gapped instances. Element explicitly offers install and support for air-gapped, isolated and high-side instances with no internet connectivity — a requirement that changes both cost and architecture, and one that a generic team chat plan will not cover.

If you are a small team without sovereignty or isolation requirements, the free app plus a modest paid tier is usually the cheaper path. If you are a government body or regulated organisation needing to run and control your own communications, budget for the server suite and the hosting decision first; the per-seat app cost is the smaller variable.

How does Element compare to other secure collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams?

Element is best understood less as a Slack or Teams alternative and more as a different model of secure collaboration: it is built on the open, decentralised Matrix standard, so organisations can run their own server and still communicate with people on other Matrix servers. Slack and Teams are proprietary, centrally hosted platforms where the vendor controls the service and your organisation connects into their cloud.

The core difference

• Sovereignty and hosting: Element can be self-hosted or used through a hosting service, and the page frames this around digital sovereignty and freedom from vendor-locked platforms. Slack and Teams are cloud services operated by their vendors.
• Federation: Element operates on the open Matrix network, so separate organisations, departments or nations can interoperate through vendor-agnostic federation. In Slack and Teams, cross-organisation work usually depends on guest accounts, external sharing settings or shared channels inside the same vendor ecosystem.
• Open standard vs. single product: Element is one client and server suite built on an open standard; Slack and Teams are single-vendor products. That matters if you want different vendors' tools to work together rather than standardising on one supplier.
• Isolated environments: Element offers install and support for air-gapped, isolated and high-side instances with no internet connectivity, which is a very different deployment model from typical Slack or Teams use.

Where Slack and Teams tend to fit better For a typical company that mainly needs chat, channels, file sharing, video meetings and tight integration with office productivity tools, Slack or Teams is usually the lower-friction choice. They are mature, widely adopted, and staff often already know them. Microsoft Teams in particular is attractive if you are already standardised on Microsoft 365. That is general advice about fit, not a claim about Element's feature set.

Where Element is worth considering

• Public sector, defence, health or regulated organisations that need to control where data lives.
• Situations requiring communication between separate organisations or nations without forcing everyone onto one vendor.
• Networks with no internet connectivity, or high-side/isolated instances.
• Buyers who specifically want to avoid vendor lock-in and value an open standard.

A practical decision rule Ask two questions: Must we control the servers and the data, and must we federate with other organisations that use different systems? If yes, Element's Matrix-based model is the stronger match. If the priority is familiar user experience, broad app integrations and minimal IT overhead, Slack or Teams will usually be easier to adopt.

Next step Map your requirements against three columns: hosting control, cross-organisation interoperability, and isolated/air-gapped operation. If two or more are must-haves, evaluate Element's self-hosted or hosted options; if none are, compare Slack and Teams on cost, integrations and existing tooling instead. You can review Element's own product and pricing pages at Element and, for the underlying standard, Matrix.