Slack is a proprietary, cloud-hosted team communication platform with 750,000+ organizations using it, while Element is an open-source, decentralized messaging platform built on the Matrix protocol. Slack dominates enterprise adoption with superior integrations, while Element prioritizes privacy and self-hosting capabilities.
Slack vs Element — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based team messaging platform with deep enterprise integrations and 21 million daily active users.
Open-source, decentralized messaging platform built on the Matrix protocol with emphasis on privacy and data ownership.
Hosting Model. Active Users (Worldwide). Enterprise Integrations. End-to-End Encryption. Message Search Retention. Starting Cost. Data Ownership & Privacy
Choose Slack if your organization prioritizes seamless integrations, enterprise features, and don't require self-hosting or maximum privacy control—it dominates the market with 750,000 organizations and superior workflow automation. Choose Element if you need end-to-end encryption by default, data ownership, self-hosting capabilities, or operate in privacy-sensitive industries; it's ideal for organizations that value decentralization and open-source infrastructure.
Slack: $87 (billed yearly) | Element: N/A
Slack: Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | Element: N/A
Slack: Limited (third-party connectors) | Element: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing) | Element: N/A
Slack: Excellent - optimized search indexing | Element: 1-5 seconds
Slack: $3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user) | Element: N/A
Slack: 10,000 most recent | Element: N/A
Slack: $8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users) | Element: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | Element: N/A
Slack: Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing | Element: N/A
Slack: Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services | Element: N/A
Slack: 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) | Element: N/A
Slack: 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | Element: N/A
Slack: 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | Element: N/A
Slack: Cloud-based SaaS only | Element: N/A
Slack: Compliant but data on Salesforce servers | Element: N/A
Slack: No increases for 33 months | Element: N/A
Slack: Unlimited group chats | Element: N/A
Slack: Workflow automation, search enhancement | Element: N/A
Slack: Optimized with threads and archives | Element: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (optional on paid plans) | Element: N/A
Slack: Limited (requires custom setup) | Element: N/A
Slack: Advanced with conditional logic | Element: N/A
Slack: Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation | Element: N/A
Slack: Requires 3rd party | Element: N/A
Slack: $150 (billed monthly) | Element: N/A
Slack: 0 (not native feature) | Element: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (slide deck view only) | Element: N/A
Slack: DMs only, Enterprise+ plan | Element: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting) | Element: N/A
Slack: $12.50 per user/month | Element: N/A
Slack: 2000+ integrations | Element: 200-300
Slack: Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations) | Element: N/A
Slack: 2,300+ integrations | Element: N/A
Slack: Unlimited external guests via workspace invite | Element: N/A
Slack: $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) | Element: N/A
Slack: Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels) | Element: N/A
Slack: Proprietary (closed-source) | Element: N/A
Slack: Native iOS/Android with feature-parity | Element: N/A
Slack: Yes (Slack Huddles) | Element: Via Jitsi integration (not native)
Slack: 2,400+ apps | Element: ~150 via bridges
Slack: Not available | Element: Yes, default in all rooms
Slack: $412.50/month | Element: $0-1,500/month (self-hosted varies)
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)
Slack: 750,000+ paid workspaces | Element: ~100,000 public servers
Slack: Proprietary/closed | Element: Open-source (GPLv3)
Slack: $150/month ($1,800/year) | Element: N/A
Slack: 2,400+ integrations | Element: N/A
Slack: 90-day limited access | Element: N/A
Slack: 750,000+ active workspaces | Element: N/A
Slack: Yes (Business+ plan required) | Element: N/A
Slack: $12.50/user (Pro plan) | Element: N/A
Slack: 10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid) | Element: N/A
Slack: No (requires integrations) | Element: N/A
Slack: 50-100ms (instant) | Element: N/A
Slack: 5GB (Free), varies by plan | Element: N/A
Slack: SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, GDPR | Element: N/A
Slack: 0.75 million | Element: 2-3 million
Slack: 1 GB shared workspace | Element: N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)
Maximum video call participants (free tier)
Slack: 90 days searchable | Element: Unlimited with self-hosting
Slack: 2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory) | Element: N/A
Slack: Cost-effective until ~12 users | Element: N/A
Slack: No: messaging-only, requires integrations | Element: N/A
Slack: 90 days (Free/Pro), unlimited with Enterprise | Element: N/A
Slack: 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | Element: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Slack: All messages indexed instantly | Element: N/A
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)
Slack: Limited (typically 3-4) | Element: N/A
Slack: 4.6/5 (12,400 reviews) | Element: N/A
Slack: Full-text indexed across all messages | Element: N/A
Slack: 21 million | Element: 2-3 million (estimated)
Slack: Partial (DMs only, beta feature) | Element: Full by default (Olm protocol)
Slack: 90 days | Element: Unlimited (self-hosted)
Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)
Slack: $8/month | Element: $0 (open-source) or $9/month (managed)
Slack: Not available | Element: Yes (full open-source support)
Slack: 750,000+ | Element: 50,000+ (estimated)
Slack: Certified (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR) | Element: Compliant by architecture (user data control)
Slack: N/A | Element: Variable (48-128 kbps)
Slack vs Element — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Slack vs Element. Contains 159 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Slack vs Element — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Slack vs Element.
Which platform is more secure for sensitive communications?
Element has stronger security by default with end-to-end encryption enabled for all messages using the Olm protocol. Slack only encrypts direct messages and has it as a beta feature. However, Slack has SOC 2 Type II certification and undergoes regular security audits. For healthcare (HIPAA), government, or financial services, Element's default encryption is typically preferred.
Can I switch from Slack to Element without losing data?
Switching is possible but not seamless. Element supports message migration tools and the open-source community has created importers. However, Slack's integrations (2,400+) won't directly transfer. You'll need to reconfigure workflows, bots, and third-party tools. Most organizations run both platforms in parallel during transition.
Is Element suitable for large enterprises?
Yes, but with considerations. Element is used by organizations like the UK NHS (national health service) and German government agencies, proving enterprise viability. However, it requires either technical expertise for self-hosting or managed service costs ($9-30/user/month). Slack is more out-of-the-box enterprise-ready with dedicated support and 750,000 organizations already using it.
What's the hidden cost of using Slack's free plan?
The free plan limits message history to 90 days, forcing paid upgrade ($8/user/month minimum) for compliance and knowledge retention. For a 50-person team, this is $400/month ($4,800/year). Organizations can't access conversations older than 90 days, creating information silos. Element's open-source version has unlimited history at zero cost.
Slack's mobile app (iOS/Android) is more polished with superior performance, offline support, and 21 million daily active users testing it continuously. Element's mobile apps are functional but have slower sync, less intuitive notifications, and smaller user base. For field teams and frequent mobile users, Slack provides a better experience.
Hosting Model: Slack has Cloud-only (proprietary SaaS), while Element has Self-hosted or cloud-hosted (open-source).
Active Users (Worldwide): Slack has 21 million daily active users, while Element has 2-3 million estimated users.
Enterprise Integrations: Slack has 2,400+ native integrations, while Element has 200+ integrations.
End-to-End Encryption: Slack has Partial (direct messages only, beta), while Element has Full by default with Olm protocol.
Message Search Retention: Slack has Unlimited (Pro plan) / 90 days (Free), while Element has Unlimited (self-hosted) / depends on plan.
Starting Cost: Slack has $8/user/month (Pro plan annual), while Element has $0 (open-source) / $9-30/user/month (managed).
Data Ownership & Privacy: Slack has Slack owns data, compliance certifications (SOC 2, GDPR), while Element has You own data (self-hosted), Matrix protocol federation.