Element vs Proton Meet

Element8.8Visit Proton Meet8.7Visit

Higher score Element #6 in Encrypted Calling Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Element

vs

Proton Meet #7 in Encrypted Calling Apps 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Proton Meet

• Element fits best

  Teams needing self-hosted, integrated communications

• Proton Meet fits best

  Encrypted meetings with clear participant limits

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Side by side

Feature	Element 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Proton Meet 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.7
Ranking	#6 in Encrypted Calling Apps	#7 in Encrypted Calling Apps
Best for	Teams needing self-hosted, integrated communications	Encrypted meetings with clear participant limits
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$7.99/user/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	ISO 27001	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, 2FA
Integrations	13 integrations	3 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Element 1/5 · Proton Meet 1/5
Video calling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Screen sharing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Self-hosting	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Team admin controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Open source	✓	✓
Specs
Group call limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Platform coverage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Includes Element Call in the free, open-source Community plan Supports self-hosted, private-cloud, managed, and air-gapped deployment Offers broad integrations and clients for web, desktop, and mobile	End-to-end encryption covers audio, video, screen shares, and chat Free meetings support up to 50 participants for 60 minutes Paid plan adds local recording and meetings of up to 100 participants
Cons	Calling is one part of a broader messaging and collaboration product Enterprise and Sovereign plans are contact-sales offerings Uses rooms and spaces rather than conventional channels	Free meetings are limited to 60 minutes and five links per day Recording is local MP4 rather than cloud-based Paid access starts at $7.99 per user monthly on annual billing
Our verdict	Element is an end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration app built on the Matrix open standard. It suits organizations that need control over their communications infrastructure, from communities and smaller teams to enterprises and… Read the review →	Proton Meet is an encrypted video conferencing service for individuals, teams, and organizations that need private online meetings. It protects audio, video, screen sharing, and chat with end-to-end encryption, and guests can join through… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Element — where it wins

  • Includes Element Call in the free, open-source Community plan
  • Supports self-hosted, private-cloud, managed, and air-gapped deployment
  • Offers broad integrations and clients for web, desktop, and mobile

  Where it doesn't

  • Calling is one part of a broader messaging and collaboration product
  • Enterprise and Sovereign plans are contact-sales offerings
  • Uses rooms and spaces rather than conventional channels

• Proton Meet — where it wins

  • End-to-end encryption covers audio, video, screen shares, and chat
  • Free meetings support up to 50 participants for 60 minutes
  • Paid plan adds local recording and meetings of up to 100 participants

  Where it doesn't

  • Free meetings are limited to 60 minutes and five links per day
  • Recording is local MP4 rather than cloud-based
  • Paid access starts at $7.99 per user monthly on annual billing

• Element8.8/10 · Free plan

  A self-hostable communications app with encrypted messaging and calling through Element Call and integrations.

  Visit ElementFull verdict →
• Proton Meet8.7/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  Private audio, video, screen sharing, and chat, with plans for up to 100 participants.

  Visit Proton MeetFull verdict →