# Element vs SimpleX Chat

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

| | Element | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 74/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #4 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 | 19 610 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +119 | +140 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 12 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v7.0.4 · 3 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Haskell |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 74/100 for SimpleX Chat, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for SimpleX Chat.

## Details

- [Element](https://selfhost.directory/project/element) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/element.md)
- [SimpleX Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/element-vs-simplex-chat