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How Element and Microsoft Teams approach collaboration
Element is built on Matrix and emphasizes messaging, voice and video, Spaces, federation, and add-ons such as bridges, bots, and widgets. Those options support collaboration across different deployments and services, but also mean administrators need to decide how the environment is configured and who can connect. Element describes its capabilities at Element features.
Teams brings workplace collaboration workloads—including chat, meetings, calls, and files—together with Microsoft identity and compliance controls. The Microsoft security guidance cited here explains encryption and identity architecture; it is not a full feature catalog, so it does not establish feature-by-feature parity, plan limits, or availability. See Microsoft’s Teams encryption guidance.
Which platform encrypts more?
The useful comparison is not simply “encrypted” versus “unencrypted.” The platforms differ in what is encrypted end to end, which communication types qualify, and which capabilities rely on service-side processing.
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Element: end-to-end encryption depends on the room
Element presents end-to-end encryption as a core feature, but its help documentation clarifies that encryption applies only to rooms where it is enabled. Do not assume every room or conversation is encrypted by default. Element’s key storage is enabled by default, according to its help page, and supports restoring message history on new devices by keeping a copy of message keys on the account provider’s server. That recovery design is an operational choice to review alongside security and retention requirements. See Element Help FAQs.
On May 13, 2026, Element announced encrypted history sharing for newly added members. Treat this as a dated product announcement, not a guarantee that a particular deployment has the capability enabled: consult Element’s announcement and current configuration documentation for availability and setup.
Teams: broad encryption with selective end-to-end encryption
Microsoft describes encryption in transit and at rest across supported Teams workloads, alongside service-side processing for functions such as compliance and monitoring. End-to-end encryption can be enabled selectively for eligible calls and supported meetings; policy, communication type, and client support affect what is available.
Rank #2
In protected Teams calls or meetings, E2EE limits some service-side capabilities. Microsoft says recording, transcription, and related Copilot capabilities are among the features affected in protected scenarios. Teams E2EE protects supported media; it does not cover chat messages or shared files. Check Microsoft’s current client and configuration guidance against the tenant and meeting types you intend to use.
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Compare the content people actually exchange
For a practical security review, list the information users share and the workflows they need. A requirement to protect call media end to end is different from a requirement to protect chat, files, recordings, or searchable compliance records. Element’s description of E2EE and Microsoft’s explanation of Teams protections address different scopes; neither should be reduced to a blanket claim that one platform encrypts everything end to end.
How federation changes external collaboration
Federation is a central Element distinction: it uses Matrix to connect users across organizations or communities while allowing different levels of openness. Element describes three broad models:
- Closed federation: an internal or invite-only environment.
- Ecosystem federation: participating organizations connect while retaining their own deployments.
- Open federation: broader participation across communities.
Element describes invite-only controls for closed and ecosystem models. The model you choose affects who can participate and how much control each organization retains. Federation is not automatically secure or suitable for every organization; identity and access policies must match the intended network. Review Element’s federation options.
For Teams, assess the external-access arrangements required by your organization against Microsoft’s identity and policy controls. The cited security guidance discusses Microsoft Entra identity controls, MFA, and Conditional Access recommendations, but does not settle all external-collaboration settings or licensing questions.
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Deployment, administration, and governance
Element describes both cloud and on-premises deployment, along with enterprise options such as SSO, retention, antivirus, and compliance-related controls. These are vendor-described capabilities; availability can depend on the product offering and deployment. See Element’s enterprise collaboration overview.
Rank #4
Microsoft describes managed encryption and identity enforcement for Teams, including Entra, MFA, Conditional Access, and policy-governed E2EE. That guidance is not a complete administration or licensing reference. The two platforms should therefore be compared against your actual procurement plans rather than assumed to offer like-for-like controls or responsibilities.
Before choosing, document the operating requirements that matter:
- Who hosts the service, and what data-location or deployment control is required?
- How will identity, MFA, device access, and external participation be governed?
- What retention, discovery, audit, and information-protection obligations apply?
- Which clients and meeting features must work, and what changes when E2EE is enabled?
- Who handles administration, support, recovery, and user onboarding?
- What are the licensing and total costs for the specific plans being considered?
The sources here do not establish a current plan-by-plan or price comparison, so verify those details with the vendors for your region and intended deployment.
Which platform should your organization choose?
Choose Element when control and federation lead
Element is the stronger candidate when your requirements center on configurable federation, deployment choice, and end-to-end encrypted messaging in rooms where encryption is enabled. Its flexibility makes decisions about network boundaries, key recovery, and operational ownership part of the deployment—not details to leave until after rollout.
Choose Teams when integrated workplace workflows lead
Teams is the stronger candidate when the organization wants collaboration workloads combined with Microsoft identity and managed security controls, and can work within the supported scope of selective E2EE. Confirm that the required client, meeting type, and policy support the protection mode you need, and account for capabilities that may be unavailable in E2EE scenarios.
Run a scenario-based evaluation
- List sensitive workflows. Separate chat, files, calls, meetings, recordings, and compliance records; state which require end-to-end protection.
- Map external participants. Decide whether access should be internal, invite-only across organizations, or open to a wider community.
- Set governance requirements. Specify hosting, data control, identity, device access, retention, discovery, and support needs.
- Validate the actual configuration. For Teams, check tenant policy, eligible clients, and E2EE feature trade-offs. For Element, confirm room encryption, federation controls, and key recovery behavior.
- Compare the real offers. Verify current regional availability, licensing, and support for the deployments under consideration before making a procurement decision.
What the security comparison does—and does not—establish
Element published a comparison of E2EE approaches on May 27, 2025. It is vendor-authored, so its broad judgments should be read as Element’s position rather than independent testing. Its distinction between media protection and protection for chat or files is consistent with Microsoft’s own description of Teams encryption. The available information does not provide an independent benchmark or incident comparison; a decision should rest on the controls and workloads your organization can verify. See Element’s comparison article alongside Microsoft’s Teams security guidance.
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