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Element vs Stoat: catalog facts
Element	Stoat
Freemium The client is free and open source under the AGPL 3.0. Element Matrix Services sells…	Free Free to use, with no ads according to the site.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web
End-to-end encryption with cross-signed device verification Federated, so you can run your own server and still reach everyone	Servers, channels, voice chat and file sharing in one app Role-based permissions and moderation tools for large communities
Encryption key management confuses people the first time they log in on a new device Heavy on memory for a chat app, and slow with many large rooms	Requires an account to use Smaller user base than mainstream community chat apps
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application
Open source	Open source
License: AGPL-3.0	License not stated
Account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.