# Element vs Nakama

> 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.

## Details

- [Element](https://selfhost.directory/project/element) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/element.md)
- [Nakama](https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/element-vs-nakama