# Element vs searcharr

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Element | searcharr |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 49/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #51 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 ✓ | 304 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +117 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v3.4.0 · 8 Apr 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 49/100 for searcharr, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for searcharr.

Element is growing faster right now (+117 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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