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Comparison · Comms
Element vs Stoat
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Element and Stoat — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Element vs Stoat: at a glance
What is Element?
Element 1.12.34 RC pops calls into picture-in-picture and lets modules shut off public rooms.
Element Web spent October on crypto UX: mandatory device verification, removal of guest tokens and NEB links, and a shorter recovery-key flow in 1.12.33. The 1.12.34 release candidate widens the scope. Element Call can move into an OS-level picture-in-picture window, modules can disable public rooms entirely, users can generate a recovery key when logging out of their last device, and users with no encrypted chats see a softer reset warning.
What is Stoat?
Stoat moves to release candidates and Gerrit, and gives server admins more control.
Stoat's 0.16.0 release candidates add server controls: invites with expiry and use limits, permission to block external emojis, and bot roles that grant permissions when a bot joins. The team is also piloting Gerrit as its main source control and will now ship release candidates and backports.
Element vs Stoat: editorial side-by-side
Element
5.0COMMS
Element 1.12.34 RC pops calls into picture-in-picture and lets modules shut off public rooms.
◆ Current state
Element Web spent October on crypto UX: mandatory device verification, removal of guest tokens and NEB links, and a shorter recovery-key flow in 1.12.33. The 1.12.34 release candidate widens the scope. Element Call can move into an OS-level picture-in-picture window, modules can disable public rooms entirely, users can generate a recovery key when logging out of their last device, and users with no encrypted chats see a softer reset warning.
◆ Where it's heading
Two tracks run in parallel. The encryption work is moving from enforcement to lowering the cost of mistakes, with prompts at logout and gentler reset paths. The Module API keeps gaining switches that let deployments restrict the client, which suits managed installs.
◆ Prediction
Expect 1.12.34 to ship close to this RC, with further Module API controls and the labs timeline, now showing read receipts, moving toward default.
Stoat
5.0COMMS
Stoat moves to release candidates and Gerrit, and gives server admins more control.
◆ Current state
Stoat's 0.16.0 release candidates add server controls: invites with expiry and use limits, permission to block external emojis, and bot roles that grant permissions when a bot joins. The team is also piloting Gerrit as its main source control and will now ship release candidates and backports.
◆ Where it's heading
The feature list is about moderation and bot management for server owners, and rc.1 adds OpenTelemetry tracing for the file service. The process change toward RCs and backports suggests the team wants steadier releases for self-hosters.
◆ Prediction
A final 0.16.0 should follow the two RCs; the entries do not say when.
Alternatives to Element and Stoat
Other Comms products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Element or Stoat.
Subsplash
Subsplash gives church staff notes on every person and every Workflow card.
Maddy
maddy's latest release is a security fix, five months after its last feature work.
Grain
Grain adds consent controls and rule-based privacy as its meeting data reaches more AI tools.
Converse.js
Converse.js 14.0.1 fixes OMEMO:2 group decryption broken by Chromium 153.
Element iOS
Element Classic now asks its own users to move to Element X, if their server opts in.
See all Element alternatives → · See all Stoat alternatives →
Recent activity from Element and Stoat
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 17h agoElement1.12.34 RC: call picture-in-picture, module switch for public rooms
- 7d agoElementElement 1.12.33 ships simpler recovery keys, ends libolm migration
- 15d agoElement1.12.33 RC simplifies recovery keys, drops libolm migration
- 18d agoElementElement 1.12.32 removes guest tokens and NEB links to fix 2 advisories
- 21d agoStoatStoat 0.16 RC1 adds OpenTelemetry tracing
- 21d agoStoatStoat 0.16 RC adds invite limits and bot roles
- 21d agoElementElement 1.12.31 makes device verification mandatory by default
- 26d agoElement1.12.31 second release candidate, feature list unchanged
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element and Stoat?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Element and Stoat are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Element better than Stoat?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Element and Stoat are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Element?
Top Element alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Element alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/element-web for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Stoat?
Top Stoat alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Stoat alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/stoat for the full list with editorial commentary on each.