Matrix / Element
The open, secure communication protocol as an alternative to Microsoft Teams and Slack.
Matrix / Element
Matrix is an open communication protocol; Element is its most popular client. Together they form a fully-featured alternative to Microsoft Teams — with true end-to-end encryption and no vendor lock-in.
Matrix vs. Microsoft Teams
| Feature | Microsoft Teams | Matrix/Element |
|---|---|---|
| Text messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video conferencing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| File sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| End-to-end encryption | Partial | ✓ Full |
| Self-hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interoperability | Limited | ✓ Federation |
| GDPR-compliant (EU) | Questionable | ✓ |
| Licence costs | €15–26/user/mo | €0 |
| Bridges to other systems | Limited | Teams, Slack, Signal, WhatsApp |
How Matrix Works
Matrix is federated — similar to email. Anyone can run their own server, and servers can communicate with each other. Your messages only leave your server when you communicate with users on other servers.
Architecture
Your Company External Partner
[Element Client] ←→ [Synapse Server] ←→ [Synapse Server] ←→ [Element Client]
(your server) (partner's server)
Deployment in European Institutions
Matrix is the communication platform of choice for European institutions:
- EU Commission: Element for internal communication of all 32,000 staff
- Bundeswehr: BwMessenger is based on Matrix/Element
- gematik: TI-Messenger for the German healthcare system (mandatory since 2024)
- 40+ German universities: Via the DFN network
Installation with Synapse
Synapse is the reference implementation of a Matrix homeserver:
# Installation with Docker
docker run -d \
--name synapse \
-v /data/synapse:/data \
-p 8448:8448 \
matrixdotorg/synapse:latest
Resource Requirements
| Users | RAM | CPU | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤25 | 1 GB | 1 vCPU | 20 GB |
| ≤100 | 2 GB | 2 vCPU | 50 GB |
| ≤500 | 4 GB | 4 vCPU | 200 GB |
Bridges: Managing the Transition Period
During migration, bridges allow parallel operation:
- Teams Bridge (mautrix-teams): Messages between Teams and Matrix
- Slack Bridge: For external partners using Slack
- WhatsApp Bridge: For mobile communication
- Signal Bridge: For particularly secure communication
Full stack overview: Open-Source Stack for SMEs →
Next: ONLYOFFICE →