Slack vs Element
Slack
Cloud-based SaaS team communication platform with 2,400+ integrations and 750,000+ active workspaces.
Enterprise teams, startups requiring extensive integrations, organizations needing established vendor support and compliance certifications.
Element
Open-source, decentralized messaging platform built on Matrix protocol with end-to-end encryption and self-hosting.
Privacy-conscious teams, organizations requiring data residency compliance, companies with security-first mandates, and teams comfortable with open-source infrastructure.
Short Answer
Slack is a commercial team messaging platform with superior integrations and polish, while Element is an open-source, privacy-first alternative built on Matrix that offers self-hosting and end-to-end encryption by default. Slack dominates enterprise adoption with 750,000+ paid workspaces, whereas Element serves privacy-conscious teams prioritizing data sovereignty.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Slack if your team prioritizes seamless integrations (2,400+ apps), established workflows, and enterprise compliance features—it's the market leader with 750,000+ paid workspaces. Choose Element if you need end-to-end encryption by default, self-hosting capabilities, data sovereignty, and lower costs for mid-sized teams who value privacy and open standards over integration breadth.
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Choose Slack if
Enterprise teams, startups requiring extensive integrations, organizations needing established vendor support and compliance certifications.
Choose Element if
Privacy-conscious teams, organizations requiring data residency compliance, companies with security-first mandates, and teams comfortable with open-source infrastructure.
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Key Differences at a Glance
Key Facts & Figures
| Metric | Slack | Element | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Active Users(millions) | ~38 Million | — | — |
| App Integrations(count) | 2,600+ | — | — |
| Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD) | $87 (billed yearly) | — | — |
| Third-party App Integrations(integrations) | 2,000+ | — | — |
| Video Meeting Capacity(participants) | Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | — | — |
| Mobile App Feature Parity(%) | 95% | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $8 | — | — |
| Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants) | Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | — | — |
| Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5) | 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) | — | — |
| Google Workspace Integration Level | 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | — | — |
| AI Features Count (2026)(features) | 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — | — |
| Price Stability (2024-2026)(months) | No increases for 33 months | — | — |
| Free Tier Cost(USD) | Free | — | — |
| Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 2,000+ | — | — |
| Years Price Stable (2026)(months) | 33+ months | — | — |
| Native Integrations Available(count) | 2,200+ | — | — |
| Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD) | $150 (billed monthly) | — | — |
| Free Tier Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages) | 0 (not native feature) | — | — |
| Enterprise Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces) | 1 workspace | — | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants) | 3 participants | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user) | $8.75 | — | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 2,000+ integrations | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) | $12.50 per user/month | — | — |
| Free Message History(days) | 90 days maximum | — | — |
| Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz) | 16 kHz | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(count) | 2,000+ official apps | 200-300 | +700% |
| Maximum Video Call Participants(people) | 15 participants | — | — |
| Total Registered Users(millions) | 750 million | — | — |
| Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| Free Plan Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 2,300+ integrations | — | — |
| Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month) | $12.50 (Pro per-user) | — | — |
| Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB) | 10 GB | — | — |
| Monthly Cost per User(USD) | $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) | — | — |
| Active Workspaces(workspaces) | 750,000+ | — | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 2,300+ | — | — |
| Message History Searchable(years) | 10 years standard | — | — |
| Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps) | 50+ | — | — |
| Native App Integrations Available(count) | 2,400+ apps | ~150 via bridges | +1500% |
| Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD) | $412.50/month | $0-1,500/month (self-hosted varies) | — |
| Message History Retention (Free Plan)(days) | 90 days (10,000 message limit) | Unlimited with self-hosting | — |
| Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces) | 750,000+ paid workspaces | ~100,000 public servers | +650% |
| Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD) | $150/month ($1,800/year) | — | — |
| Pre-built Integrations(integrations) | 2,400+ integrations | — | — |
| Message History on Free Plan(days) | 90-day limited access | — | — |
| Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000+ active workspaces | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD) | $12.50/user (Pro plan) | — | — |
| Voice Chat Bitrate(kbps) | Variable (48-128 kbps) | Variable (48-128 kbps) | — |
| Voice Latency(milliseconds) | 100-200ms avg | 100-200ms avg | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.
Key Differences
Slack
Cloud-only (SaaS)
Element
Self-hosted or cloud🏆
Slack
Not available
Element
Default in all rooms🏆
Slack
90 days (10,000 messages)
Element
Unlimited with self-hosting🏆
Slack
2,400+ apps via Slack App Marketplace🏆
Element
~150 integrations via bridges
Slack
750,000+ paid workspaces🏆
Element
~100,000 public Matrix homeservers
Slack
$8.25/user/month (Pro plan)
Element
$0 (self-hosted) or $15-30/month (managed)🏆
Slack
Yes (Slack Huddles)🏆
Element
Via Jitsi integration (not native)
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Slack | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Active Users(millions) | ~38 Million | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | 215 million | 2-3 million |
| App Integrations(count) | 2,600+ | — |
| Google Workspace Native Integration | Limited (requires custom setup) | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 2,300+ | — |
| Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo) | $7.25 | — |
| Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month) | $7.25 | — |
| Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD) | $87 (billed yearly) | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $8 | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — |
| Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | — |
Show 14 more attributesPrice Stability (2024-2026)(months) No increases for 33 months — Free Tier Cost(USD) Free — Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month) $7.25 — Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $7.25 — Years Price Stable (2026)(months) 33+ months — Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD) $150 (billed monthly) — Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user) $8.75 — Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) $12.50 per user/month — Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $12.50 — Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month) $12.50 (Pro per-user) — Monthly Cost per User(USD) $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) — Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD) $412.50/month $0-1,500/month (self-hosted varies) Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD) $150/month ($1,800/year) — Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD) $12.50/user (Pro plan) — | ||
| Third-party App Integrations(integrations) | 2,000+ | — |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 2,000+ integrations | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 2,300+ integrations | — |
| Pre-built Integrations(integrations) | 2,400+ integrations | — |
| Video Meeting Capacity(participants) | Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | — |
| Native Office Integration | Limited (third-party connectors) | — |
| AI Copilot Features | Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing) | — |
| Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants) | Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | — |
| Native Video Conferencing | Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing | — |
Show 13 more attributesMeeting Recording & Auto-Transcription Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services — Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5) 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) — Third-Party Integrations Available(count) 2,000+ — Enterprise AI Features Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation — Native Integrations Available(count) 2,200+ — Free Message History(days) 90 days maximum — Free Plan Message History Retention(days) 90 days — Free Plan External Guest Collaboration(capacity) Unlimited external guests via workspace invite — Email Service Included No — Message History Searchable(years) 10 years standard — Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps) 50+ — Message History on Free Plan(days) 90-day limited access — Self-Hosting Option Yes (fully) — | ||
| Message Search Speed(seconds) | Excellent - optimized search indexing | 1-5 seconds |
| Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz) | 16 kHz | — |
| Maximum Video Call Participants(people) | 15 participants | — |
| Voice Chat Bitrate(kbps) | Variable (48-128 kbps) | — |
| Voice Latency(milliseconds) | 100-200ms avg | — |
| Mobile App Feature Parity(%) | 95% | — |
| Mobile App Type | Native iOS/Android with feature-parity | — |
| Google Workspace Integration Level | 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | — |
| AI Features Count (2026)(features) | 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | — |
| Deployment Options | Cloud-based SaaS only | — |
| GDPR & Data Sovereignty Compliance | Compliant but data on Salesforce servers | — |
| End-to-End Encryption Available | DMs only, Enterprise+ plan | — |
| End-to-End Encryption Default | Not available | Yes, default in all rooms |
| Default End-to-End Encryption | Yes (all chats) | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants(participants) | Unlimited group chats | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — |
| AI Features (2026) | Workflow automation, search enhancement | — |
| Real-Time Translation | Not available | — |
| Asynchronous Communication | Optimized with threads and archives | — |
| Zoom Rooms Cost(USD per room/month) | N/A | — |
| AI Assistant Capability | Slack AI (optional on paid plans) | — |
| AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages) | 0 (not native feature) | — |
| AI Meeting Assistant | Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting) | — |
| Workflow Automation Complexity | Advanced with conditional logic | — |
| Storage Per User (Standard Plan)(GB) | Variable by plan | — |
| Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB) | 10 GB | — |
| Open Source | No, proprietary | — |
| Maximum Video Length (Free Tier)(minutes) | N/A | — |
| Maximum Video Resolution(pixels) | Requires 3rd party | — |
| Free Tier Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — |
| Message History Retention (Free Plan)(days) | 90 days (10,000 message limit) | Unlimited with self-hosting |
| Enterprise Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces) | 1 workspace | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants) | 3 participants | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Paid)(participants) | Unlimited (slide deck view only) | — |
| Free Plan Message History(months) | 90 days | — |
| FedRAMP Authorization | No | — |
| SOC 2 Type II Certified | Yes | — |
| HIPAA Compliance Certified | Yes (Business+ plan required) | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(count) | 2,000+ official apps | 200-300 |
| Custom Workflow Automation | Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations) | — |
| Users Per Workspace(count) | Unlimited | — |
| Total Registered Users(millions) | 750 million | — |
| Daily Posts Published (Organic)(millions) | N/A | — |
| Active Workspaces(workspaces) | 750,000+ | — |
| Threading Model | Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels) | — |
| Open Source(boolean) | Proprietary (closed-source) | — |
| Native Video/Audio Calls | Yes (Slack Huddles) | Via Jitsi integration (not native) |
| Native App Integrations Available(count) | 2,400+ apps | ~150 via bridges |
| Self-Hosting Capability | No, cloud-only | Yes, open-source |
| Self-Hosted/On-Premises Option | No (cloud-only) | — |
| Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces) | 750,000+ paid workspaces | ~100,000 public servers |
| Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000+ active workspaces | — |
| Source Code Availability(null) | Proprietary/closed | Open-source (GPLv3) |
Show 14 more attributes
Show 13 more attributes
Visual Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes
Pros & Cons
Slack
Pros
- 2,400+ native app integrations (Salesforce, Jira, GitHub, Asana, etc.)
- Industry-leading user interface and UX design
- Slack Huddles provides native video/audio calls
- Advanced search and message threading across channels
- Enterprise single sign-on (SSO) and compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP)
Cons
- No end-to-end encryption available
- Paid plans required for message history beyond 90 days
- Cloud-only deployment limits data sovereignty
Element
Pros
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) enabled by default in all private rooms
- Self-hosted deployment option with full data sovereignty
- Open-source codebase (GPLv3) with community audits
- Unlimited message history on self-hosted instances
- Free tier includes full feature set (voice/video via Jitsi bridges)
Cons
- Only ~150 integrations via bridges vs Slack's 2,400+ native apps
- Steeper learning curve for non-technical teams (federation, bridges, homeservers)
- Smaller user base and ecosystem limits third-party development
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Slack uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) for data in transit and AES-256 for data at rest on Slack's servers, but does not offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE) where only users hold decryption keys. Element provides E2EE by default in all private rooms, meaning Slack staff cannot access message content.
Resources & Learn More
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Where to Buy
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