# Element vs umbrelOS

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

| | Element | umbrelOS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #2 of 22 in Home Server |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 ✓ | 12 474 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +119 | +439 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 7 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | 2.0.0 · 22 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 73/100 for umbrelOS, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for umbrelOS.

umbrelOS is growing faster right now (+439 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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