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Element X Android vs Rocket.Chat

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Element X Android and Rocket.Chat — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Element X Android vs Rocket.Chat: at a glance

FeatureElement X AndroidRocket.Chat
SectorCommsComms
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmatrix, messaging, timeline renderer, searchteam-chat, licensing, self-hosted, performance
Last editorial update8h ago3d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Element X Android?

Element X Android turns on multi-select forwarding and better search in v26.11.0.

Element X Android v26.11.0 enables multi-select forwarding by default, renders media captions and updated display names in the new timeline renderer, and keeps previous results visible while searching with the 3-month limit shown. It also fixes voice-message playback sync and a crash on logout. It follows v26.10.0's multi-account and global search launch.

Read the full Element X Android trajectory →

What is Rocket.Chat?

Rocket.Chat patches 8.9 LTS with the load fixes from 9.0 while the candidate reaches rc.7.

The 9.0 candidate line opened on 27 October with a licensing change: LDAP, SAML and Custom OAuth now require a premium plan. Since rc.4 the candidates have been fixes: rc.5 drops removed-license features for connected users and redacts OAuth codes from logs, rc.6 fixes Matrix federation auth, and rc.7 stops a web and desktop client memory leak and moves native LiveKit video to beta. On 6 November 8.9.1 LTS backported the notification, presence and startup load fixes plus a security hotfix.

Read the full Rocket.Chat trajectory →

Element X Android vs Rocket.Chat: editorial side-by-side

E5.0

Element X Android turns on multi-select forwarding and better search in v26.11.0.

◆ Current state

Element X Android v26.11.0 enables multi-select forwarding by default, renders media captions and updated display names in the new timeline renderer, and keeps previous results visible while searching with the 3-month limit shown. It also fixes voice-message playback sync and a crash on logout. It follows v26.10.0's multi-account and global search launch.

◆ Where it's heading

The app is moving its new timeline renderer toward default and polishing the October features: forwarding, search and multi-account. Releases arrive every one to three weeks.

◆ Prediction

Expect the new timeline renderer to become the default within the next one or two releases.

Rocket.Chat logo6.3

Rocket.Chat patches 8.9 LTS with the load fixes from 9.0 while the candidate reaches rc.7.

◆ Current state

The 9.0 candidate line opened on 27 October with a licensing change: LDAP, SAML and Custom OAuth now require a premium plan. Since rc.4 the candidates have been fixes: rc.5 drops removed-license features for connected users and redacts OAuth codes from logs, rc.6 fixes Matrix federation auth, and rc.7 stops a web and desktop client memory leak and moves native LiveKit video to beta. On 6 November 8.9.1 LTS backported the notification, presence and startup load fixes plus a security hotfix.

◆ Where it's heading

9.0 is in stabilization: each candidate is smaller than the last, and the load fixes are being carried to the LTS line rather than held for the major. Native LiveKit video is being promoted step by step, from alpha to beta and now as the named default provider option.

◆ Prediction

With rc.7 down to a handful of fixes, 9.0.0 GA is the next likely release, followed by further 8.9.x LTS patches carrying the same fixes.

Alternatives to Element X Android and Rocket.Chat

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 X Android or Rocket.Chat.

See all Element X Android alternatives → · See all Rocket.Chat alternatives →

Recent activity from Element X Android and Rocket.Chat

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 3d agoElement X AndroidElement X Android v26.11.0
  2. 4d agoRocket.Chat8.9.1 LTS: load fixes from 9.0 plus a security hotfix
  3. 4d agoRocket.Chat9.0 rc.7: client memory leak fixed, LiveKit video moves to beta
  4. 4d agoRocket.Chat9.0 rc.6: Matrix federation auth header fix
  5. 4d agoRocket.Chat9.0 rc.5: removed-license features shut off, OAuth codes redacted
  6. 6d agoRocket.Chat9.0 rc.4: notifications, presence and startup fixed under load
  7. 10d agoRocket.Chat9.0 rc.3: REST refusals become 403; /hooks status codes change
  8. 17d agoElement X AndroidElement X Android v26.10.1
  9. 24d agoElement X AndroidMulti-account support and global search arrive
  10. 1mo agoElement X AndroidHotfix: room list now shows all unread activity
  11. 1mo agoElement X AndroidNew timeline renderer lands behind a feature flag
  12. 2mo agoElement X AndroidMore reliable push notifications and remote-config fixes

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Element X Android and Rocket.Chat?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Rocket.Chat is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Element X Android better than Rocket.Chat?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Rocket.Chat is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Element X Android?

Top Element X Android alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Element X Android alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/element-x-android for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Rocket.Chat?

Top Rocket.Chat alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Rocket.Chat alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rocketchat for the full list with editorial commentary on each.