ElementvsNakama
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Element | Nakama | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #4 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 | 13 606 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +117 | +64 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 9 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 | v3.41.0 · 18 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Element scores 76/100 against 75/100 for Nakama, so it is the safer default.
Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Nakama.
Element details →Nakama details →
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