Element Call
Group video calls on the open Matrix network, from the makers of Element.
Instead of Zoom, Google Meet
Screenshot from github.com/element-hq/element-call, taken 2026-10-30, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Element Call puts group video calls on Matrix, the open standard that Element already uses for chat. It is built on MatrixRTC with LiveKit carrying the media, lists end-to-end encryption as a key feature, and runs as a web app or as a widget inside Element Web and Element X on iOS and Android.
Element Call scores a 4 on lock-in and a 3 on footprint, self-direction, power, longevity and delivery.
Element dual licenses it, AGPL-3.0 for free or a paid commercial licence, so the open version is real and the company also sells another route. Every self-hosted setup needs its own LiveKit server, and that takes some skill. The page does not say whether the project is beta or stable and labels its component build experimental, so Delivery is a 3.
- Group video calls on Matrix, with end-to-end encryption listed as a key feature
- Dual licensed: AGPL-3.0, or a paid commercial licence
- Self-hosting needs its own LiveKit server
What stands out
Do you make Element Call? Get the badge for your site
This badge reports a dated review. It is not a certification and it costs nothing. Link it to this page and leave the numbers alone: the image always shows the current score.
For dark backgrounds, use element-call-dark.svg in place of element-call-light.svg.
For comparison, we also reviewed Zoom (16/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “meet without an account or a landlord”
JamiPeer-to-peer calls and messages with no central server, from a GNU project.
Jitsi MeetFree video meetings in a browser or app, with no account needed and a server you can host yourself.- GalèneA videoconference server light enough to run on a small machine.
BigBlueButtonAn open-source virtual classroom with slides, polls, whiteboards and breakout rooms.