Discourse vs Element
Both Discourse and Element are self-hosted alternatives to Slack.
Side by side
| Field | Discourse | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Advanced forum / community solution based on Ruby and JS. | Fully-featured Matrix client for Web, iOS & Android. |
| GitHub stars | 48,046 | 13,633 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Platforms | Docker | Nodejs |
| Latest release | _gh-attach-assets, 15 July 2026 | v1.12.33, 27 October 2026 |
| Repository activity | 2 November 2026 | 30 October 2026 |
| Health | Active | Active |
| Categories | Communication - Social Networks and Forums | Communication - Custom Communication Systems |
| Website | https://www.discourse.org/ | https://element.io |
| Source code | https://github.com/discourse/discourse | https://github.com/element-hq/element-web |
Where the records differ
Computed from the two records above: a line appears only where the dataset states a figure, a date or a set relation, and no line recommends one application over the other.
- Discourse has more GitHub stars in the dataset, 48,046 against 13,633.
- Discourse recorded repository activity more recently, 2 November 2026 against 30 October 2026.
- Element has the newer release on record: v1.12.33, 27 October 2026, against _gh-attach-assets, 15 July 2026.
- Licenses differ: Discourse is listed under GPL-2.0; Element under Apache-2.0.
- Platforms differ: Discourse lists Docker; Element lists Nodejs.
- Discourse is filed under Communication - Social Networks and Forums; Element is filed under Communication - Custom Communication Systems.