Element vs Slack
On the evidence we track, Slack leads this comparison with a composite score of 79/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for collaboration software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
Element
A secure messaging and video conferencing system that prioritizes data control and independence by enabling organizations to self-host their communications infrastructure on open standards.
Slack
LeaderSlack is a cloud-based system that enables teams to communicate through channels, integrate with external tools, and automate workflows while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance controls.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
Element
Free community version. Pro version billed per seat per month.
- CommunityFree
- Free frontend and backend
- Self-hosted community server
- ProProfessional server with per-seat/month pricing
- Professional home server with dynamic scaling
- 90% resource savings vs Community
- Advanced security advisory
- Level 3 support with SLA
- Long-term support (LTS)
- +9 more
Slack
LeaderFrom £0 (free tier) to £7/user/month (Pro). Free tier available.
- FreeFree
- 90 days of message history
- Up to 10 apps from Slack App Directory
- 1:1 audio and video meetings with screen sharing
- 1:1 external messages via Slack Connect
- SAML-based single sign-on
- +9 more
- Pro£7/user/month (£5.75/user/month billed annually)
- Unlimited message history
- Unlimited app integrations
- 2,600+ apps in Slack App Directory
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
- Github
- JIRA
Element
- Jitsi
- Etherpad
- Grafana
- Google Calendar
- Spotify
- YouTube
- EtherCalc
- TradingView
- Gitlab
- RSS
- Webhooks
- LDAP
- SCIM
- OIDC
- OAuth
Slack
Leader- Salesforce
- Atlassian
- Lucid
- Loom
- Miro
- Smartsheet
- Mural
- Zapier
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Okta
- ADFS
- Zendesk
Element or Slack: which one depends on you
A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.
Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.