What is the main difference between Element and Hazel?

Element and Hazel are both team chat & messaging tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Element or Hazel?

The choice between Element and Hazel depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Element to Hazel?

Migration between Element and Hazel is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

Sent – Messaging Infrastructure for Developers. One API for SMS, WhatsApp, and RCS across 190+ countries.

Learn more

Element vs Hazel

Learn how Element and Hazel differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these team chat & messaging tools is best for you.

Element

Open-source platform for encrypted communication, file sharing, and collaboration based on the Matrix protocol.

Visit Element Read more

13,614stars+103(+0.8%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
3 days ago
Repository age
11 years
Version
v1.12.32
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
element-web

Hazel

Team chat for developers with threads, full-text search, keyboard-first navigation, GitHub and Linear previews, desktop apps, and message sync with Slack and Discord.

Visit Hazel Read more

729stars+5(+0.7%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
11 days ago
Repository age
2 years
Version
v1.0.2
License
FSL-1.1-ALv2
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
mapletechlabs/hazel

Detailed Comparison

Element appears to have several advantages over Hazel, particularly in popularity and maturity. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Element wins

Community & Popularity

Element significantly outpaces Hazel in community adoption with 13,614 stars compared to 729 stars on GitHub. This 18.7x difference suggests Element has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, Element has 2,804 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Comparable

Growth Momentum

Element and Hazel are moving at much the same rate, adding 103 stars and adding 5 stars respectively over the last 30 days (+0.8% vs +0.7%). Neither is pulling away from the other on momentum alone.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Element last updated 3 days ago and Hazel 11 days ago.

Element wins

Project Maturity

Element has been in development longer, starting 11 years ago, compared to Hazel which began 2 years ago. This 9.9-year head start suggests Element may have more mature features and established processes.

Comparable

Licensing

The projects use different licenses: Element is licensed under AGPL-3.0 while Hazel uses FSL-1.1-ALv2. Consider the licensing requirements when choosing for your project.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Team Chat & Messaging. However, they also have distinct specializations: Element also focuses on Encrypted Communication.

Comparable