# Element vs WriteFreely

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

| | Element | WriteFreely |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #2 of 24 in Blogging |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 ✓ | 5 276 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +119 ✓ | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.17.2 · 10 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 65/100 for WriteFreely, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for WriteFreely.

Element is growing faster right now (+119 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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