{
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    "https://schema.org",
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    }
  ],
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "@id": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/element/#software",
  "name": "Element",
  "description": "Free and open-source Matrix client for Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, with end-to-end encryption on by default, decentralised rooms, threads and Element Call voice and video.",
  "url": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/element/",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/element/",
  "operatingSystem": "macOS",
  "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Element"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://element.io/",
    "https://github.com/element-hq/element-desktop"
  ],
  "softwareVersion": "1.12.30",
  "license": "AGPL-3.0",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  },
  "nuanyue:record": {
    "schemaVersion": 1,
    "id": "software:element",
    "slug": "element",
    "name": "Element",
    "type": "SoftwareApplication",
    "entityType": "messaging app",
    "description": "Free and open-source Matrix client for Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, with end-to-end encryption on by default, decentralised rooms, threads and Element Call voice and video.",
    "shortDescription": "Open-source Matrix chat client with end-to-end encryption by default.",
    "answer": "Element is the flagship desktop and mobile client for Matrix, an open, decentralised messaging network. Its distinguishing property is that it is not tied to one company's servers: rooms live on Matrix homeservers, which you can run yourself, so a conversation can span organisations and different clients rather than being locked inside one provider. Encryption is on by default for the whole platform — messages, files, and voice and video calls through Element Call — and devices are verified against each other with a QR code or an emoji string. It also refuses to require a phone number. The app itself is free and AGPL-licensed; Element sells self-hosted server suites to organisations, which is where the company's revenue comes from.",
    "page": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/element/",
    "dataUrl": "https://www.nuanyue.com/data/software/element.json",
    "categories": [
      "productivity"
    ],
    "tags": [],
    "platform": [
      "macOS"
    ],
    "architecture": [],
    "featured": false,
    "pricing": "freemium",
    "pricingDescription": "The application is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. Element's paid products are the self-hosted Element Server Suite: a Community edition that is free of charge and open source, an Enterprise edition priced per seat per month, and a Sovereign edition for air-gapped deployments priced per deployment. No list prices are published for the paid editions — both are \"talk to an expert\".",
    "license": "AGPL-3.0",
    "currentVersion": "1.12.30",
    "releaseDate": "2026-03-24",
    "openSource": true,
    "website": "https://element.io/",
    "github": "https://github.com/element-hq/element-desktop",
    "download": "https://packages.element.io/desktop/update/macos/Element-1.12.30-universal-mac.zip",
    "developer": {
      "name": "Element"
    },
    "icon": "/apps/element.png",
    "features": [
      "Built on the Matrix open standard, an open network for decentralised communication",
      "End-to-end encryption on by default across the platform, including voice and video",
      "Cross-signed device verification using a QR code or an emoji string",
      "Private, invite-only rooms",
      "Threads, read receipts, reactions, polls, emoji, location sharing, attachments and voice messages",
      "File sharing, embedded links and share-to capabilities",
      "Element Call for end-to-end encrypted one-to-one and group voice and video",
      "Widgets and integrations including the NeoBoard whiteboard, OpenProject and Jira",
      "Unlimited message history",
      "Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, from an app store, F-Droid, or in a browser",
      "No personal phone number required",
      "Self-hostable, so the deployment does not depend on a single provider",
      "Interoperable with any other Matrix-based system, so there is no vendor lock-in",
      "Grid View for monitoring, sending and receiving across multiple rooms at once"
    ],
    "useCases": [
      "Chatting with people on a different organisation's server without either side changing providers",
      "Running your own communications server and keeping the client on your desktop",
      "Replacing a consumer messenger with one that does not ask for a phone number",
      "Holding an encrypted group call alongside the text conversation"
    ],
    "formats": [],
    "integrations": [],
    "pros": [
      {
        "text": "End-to-end encryption is on by default across the platform, including voice and video calls.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Built on the Matrix open standard, so it interoperates with any other Matrix-based system and there is no vendor lock-in.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Devices can be verified against each other with a QR code or an emoji string.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Does not require a personal phone number.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Can be self-hosted and deployed air-gapped, so the conversation does not depend on one provider's servers.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The application is free and open source under AGPL-3.0.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Publishes a universal macOS build, so one download covers both Intel and Apple silicon Macs.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "cons": [
      {
        "text": "Element's paid server editions have no published prices; both the Enterprise and Sovereign tiers are 'talk to an expert'.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The decentralised model means an account lives on a homeserver, so choosing and trusting a server is part of getting started rather than something handled for you.",
        "status": "derived",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The macOS build is a zip from the vendor's own update server, so installation and updates are manual rather than handled by a store.",
        "status": "derived",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "whoIsItFor": [
      "People who want encrypted messaging that is not tied to a single company's servers",
      "Organisations that need to self-host their chat, including in air-gapped environments"
    ],
    "notFor": [
      "Anyone who wants a messenger where contacts are simply found by phone number, which Element deliberately does not require",
      "People who do not want to think about which homeserver an account lives on"
    ],
    "limitations": [
      "There is no published price for the Enterprise or Sovereign server editions; both are sold through a sales conversation",
      "The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks",
      "The macOS build is a zip archive from the vendor's update server rather than a Mac App Store listing",
      "Matrix's decentralised model means an account belongs to a homeserver, so the choice of server is part of setting it up"
    ],
    "firstUse": {
      "installation": {
        "value": "Downloaded as a universal macOS zip from the vendor's update server, or obtained from an app store, F-Droid, or used in a browser.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "firstLaunch": {
        "value": "You sign in to an existing Matrix account or create one on a chosen homeserver; the client is not tied to a single provider, so the server is part of the setup.",
        "status": "derived",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "systemIntegration": {
        "value": "Desktop application with encrypted voice and video calling built in, and integration widgets for tools such as Jira, OpenProject and the NeoBoard whiteboard.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "appleSilicon": {
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    },
    "updates": [],
    "faq": [
      {
        "question": "Is Element free?",
        "answer": "The application is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. What Element sells is self-hosted server software: a free, open-source Community edition, an Enterprise edition priced per seat per month, and a Sovereign edition for air-gapped deployments priced per deployment. Neither paid edition publishes a list price.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does Element require a phone number?",
        "answer": "No. The vendor lists 'no personal phone numbers required' as a privacy property of the platform, which distinguishes it from messengers that use a phone number as the account identifier.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Is Element encrypted?",
        "answer": "Yes. Element states that the entire platform is end-to-end encrypted by default — messages, files, and voice and video through Element Call — and that only those in the conversation can decrypt the data. Configuration can enable the creation of non-encrypted chat rooms.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Can I run Element without using Element's servers?",
        "answer": "Yes. Element is a client for Matrix, an open and decentralised network, and the vendor sells a self-hosted Element Server Suite that can also be deployed air-gapped with no internet connectivity at all. The desktop client works with any Matrix homeserver.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does Element work on Apple silicon Macs?",
        "answer": "Yes. The macOS download is published as a universal build, so a single archive covers both Intel and Apple silicon Macs.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "target": "matrix",
        "type": "complements",
        "reason": "Matrix is the open, decentralised network and Element is the client most people use to reach it, so the two are encountered together even though one is a protocol and the other an application.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "telegram",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both are messaging apps that work across desktop and mobile, but Telegram keeps messages on its own servers and encrypts only Secret Chats, while Element is end-to-end encrypted by default and can be pointed at a server you run.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "discord",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both host group conversations with rooms, threads and calls, but Discord is a single hosted service while Element is a client for a decentralised network that organisations can self-host.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "element:official",
        "type": "official_website",
        "url": "https://element.io/",
        "title": "Element — official website",
        "trustLevel": "B",
        "accessedAt": null
      },
      {
        "id": "element:repository",
        "type": "github",
        "url": "https://github.com/element-hq/element-desktop",
        "title": "Element — source repository",
        "trustLevel": "D",
        "accessedAt": null
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "software:element.isA",
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        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.supportsPlatform",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "supportsPlatform",
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          "macOS"
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        "status": "verified",
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.officialWebsite",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "officialWebsite",
        "value": "https://element.io/",
        "status": "verified",
        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.listedInCategory",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "listedInCategory",
        "value": [
          "productivity"
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        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.pricingModel",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "pricingModel",
        "value": "Freemium",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.developedBy",
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.ownership",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "ownership",
        "value": "Third-party product — not published by Nuanyue",
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
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      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.isOpenSource",
        "subject": "software:element",
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        "sourceIds": [
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      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.licensedUnder",
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      {
        "id": "software:element.currentVersion",
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      {
        "id": "software:element.hasFeature",
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        "value": [
          "Built on the Matrix open standard, an open network for decentralised communication",
          "End-to-end encryption on by default across the platform, including voice and video",
          "Cross-signed device verification using a QR code or an emoji string",
          "Private, invite-only rooms",
          "Threads, read receipts, reactions, polls, emoji, location sharing, attachments and voice messages",
          "File sharing, embedded links and share-to capabilities",
          "Element Call for end-to-end encrypted one-to-one and group voice and video",
          "Widgets and integrations including the NeoBoard whiteboard, OpenProject and Jira",
          "Unlimited message history",
          "Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, from an app store, F-Droid, or in a browser",
          "No personal phone number required",
          "Self-hostable, so the deployment does not depend on a single provider",
          "Interoperable with any other Matrix-based system, so there is no vendor lock-in",
          "Grid View for monitoring, sending and receiving across multiple rooms at once"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.usedFor",
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        "value": [
          "Chatting with people on a different organisation's server without either side changing providers",
          "Running your own communications server and keeping the client on your desktop",
          "Replacing a consumer messenger with one that does not ask for a phone number",
          "Holding an encrypted group call alongside the text conversation"
        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.audienceFor",
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          "People who want encrypted messaging that is not tied to a single company's servers",
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        ],
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      },
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        "id": "software:element.audienceNotFor",
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        "value": [
          "Anyone who wants a messenger where contacts are simply found by phone number, which Element deliberately does not require",
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        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.limitation",
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        "value": [
          "There is no published price for the Enterprise or Sovereign server editions; both are sold through a sales conversation",
          "The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks",
          "The macOS build is a zip archive from the vendor's update server rather than a Mac App Store listing",
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        ],
        "status": "editorially-reviewed",
        "sourceIds": [],
        "lastVerified": null
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.advantage.0",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "End-to-end encryption is on by default across the platform, including voice and video calls.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "element:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.advantage.1",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Built on the Matrix open standard, so it interoperates with any other Matrix-based system and there is no vendor lock-in.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "element:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.advantage.2",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Devices can be verified against each other with a QR code or an emoji string.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "element:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.advantage.3",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Does not require a personal phone number.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
          "element:official"
        ],
        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
      {
        "id": "software:element.advantage.4",
        "subject": "software:element",
        "predicate": "advantage",
        "value": "Can be self-hosted and deployed air-gapped, so the conversation does not depend on one provider's servers.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
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        "id": "software:element.advantage.5",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
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        "sourceIds": [
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
      },
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        "id": "software:element.drawback.0",
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        "value": "Element's paid server editions have no published prices; both the Enterprise and Sovereign tiers are 'talk to an expert'.",
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        "id": "software:element.drawback.1",
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        "id": "software:element.drawback.2",
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        "id": "software:element.supportsAppleSilicon",
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    ],
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z",
    "lastReviewedAt": null
  }
}