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polycule vs Element: catalog facts
polycule	Element
Free Free and open source under the EUPL-1.2.	Freemium The client is free and open source under the AGPL 3.0. Element Matrix Services sells…
Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web, Self-hosted
Keyboard-optimised interface Accessibility-focused development	End-to-end encryption with cross-signed device verification Federated, so you can run your own server and still reach everyone
Terminal-style look will not suit everyone Requires a Matrix account	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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: EUPL-1.2	License: AGPL-3.0
Account needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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