Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Element.io VS BrowserStack

Compare Element.io VS BrowserStack and see what are their differences

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Element.io logo Element.io

Secure messaging app with strong end-to-end encryption, advanced group chat privacy settings, secure video calls for teams, encrypted communication using Matrix open network. Riot.im is now Element.

BrowserStack logo BrowserStack

BrowserStack is a software testing platform for developers to comprehensively test websites and mobile applications for quality.
  • Element.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20
  • BrowserStack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-05-06

BrowserStack is a leading software testing platform powering over two million tests every day across 15 global data centers. With BrowserStack, developers can comprehensively test their websites and mobile applications across 2,000+ real mobile devices and browsers in a single cloud platform—and at scale. BrowserStack helps Tesco, Shell, NVIDIA, Discovery, Wells Fargo, and over 50,000 customers deliver quality software at speed.

BrowserStack

$ Details
freemium $29.0 / Monthly (Starts at single user plans and billed annually)
Platforms
Mac OSX Android Windows Browser Web iOS Google Chrome Firefox Safari REST API Internet Explorer
Release Date
2012 September
Startup details
Country
Ireland
State
Dublin
City
Dublin
Founder(s)
Nakul Aggarwal
Employees
500 - 999

Element.io features and specs

  • Open Source
    Element.io is open-source, meaning the code is freely accessible and can be modified by anyone. This allows for transparency, security audits, and customization.
  • Privacy and Security
    Element.io offers end-to-end encryption for secure communication, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read the messages.
  • Interoperability
    It supports the Matrix protocol, which allows for communication across different platforms and services, facilitating greater connectivity.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Element.io provides features such as voice and video calls, file sharing, and integrations with other services, making it suitable for both personal and team use.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available on various platforms including web, desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android), ensuring accessibility from any device.
  • Customizability
    Users can personalize their experience through various settings and even set up their own server for full control over their data.

Possible disadvantages of Element.io

  • Complexity
    The extensive feature set and customization options can be overwhelming for new users, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Performance Issues
    Users have reported occasional performance issues such as slow response times and lag, particularly in larger rooms or with heavy media use.
  • User Interface
    While functional, the user interface may not be as polished or intuitive as other more mainstream messaging apps, which could impact usability.
  • Server Setup
    Setting up your own server for complete data control requires technical expertise and can be time-consuming, posing a barrier for non-technical users.
  • Limited Network Effect
    Despite its capabilities, Element.io has a smaller user base compared to giants like WhatsApp or Slack, which may limit its usefulness for some users.
  • Resource Intensive
    The application can be resource-intensive, particularly on older hardware, which may result in slower performance or increased battery consumption on mobile devices.

BrowserStack features and specs

  • Cloud-based
  • Browser Extensions
  • SaaS

Analysis of Element.io

Overall verdict

  • Element.io is a good choice for those looking for a secure and privacy-focused communication platform with rich features and high customizability. Its open-source nature and ability to integrate with other services enhance its appeal to a wide range of users.

Why this product is good

  • Element.io, previously known as Riot.im, is considered a good platform due to its focus on security and privacy, offering end-to-end encryption for conversations. It is built on the Matrix protocol, which supports decentralized communication, making it a versatile and open-source choice for both individual and group communication. It is designed for interoperability and can integrate with other messaging and collaboration platforms. Additionally, it offers extensive customization options and support for both text and voice/video communications.

Recommended for

    Element.io is highly recommended for privacy-conscious users, open-source enthusiasts, tech-savvy individuals, organizations seeking secure internal communication channels, and communities needing decentralized and customizable messaging solutions.

Analysis of BrowserStack

Overall verdict

  • Overall, BrowserStack is considered a highly effective and reliable tool in the web development and testing community. Its extensive features, real-device testing capabilities, and seamless integration make it a good choice for those needing comprehensive cross-browser testing solutions.

Why this product is good

  • BrowserStack is a robust and widely used web testing platform that provides developers with the ability to test their websites and applications across a vast array of browsers and devices. It offers real device cloud testing, ensuring that users can assess how their applications perform on actual devices rather than simulations. This makes it an invaluable tool for identifying and resolving cross-browser compatibility issues. Additionally, it integrates with popular CI/CD tools, enhancing the workflow efficiency for development teams.

Recommended for

  • Web developers
  • QA engineers
  • Agile development teams
  • Companies needing cross-browser testing across multiple devices
  • Teams looking for CI/CD integration in their testing process

Element.io videos

RIOT : Riot.im : A New World Of Open Communication!

BrowserStack videos

BrowserStack Overview

More videos:

  • Tutorial - SpeedLab by BrowserStack
  • Review - SharePoint Team Finds BrowserStack Invaluable

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Element.io and BrowserStack)
Communication
100 100%
0% 0
Website Testing
0 0%
100% 100
Group Chat & Notifications
Browser Testing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Element.io and BrowserStack

Element.io Reviews

7 best Mattermost alternatives for secure business messaging
Element is a secure messaging and communication software that operates based on the Matrix protocol. It has advanced features that promote internal collaboration and boost team productivity. It offers end-to-end encryption and supports communication through messages, voice, and video calls.
Source: www.rocket.chat
10 Best Secure Messaging Apps to Keep Your Conversation Private
Element.io, which was earlier known as Riot, is a secure chat app that is built around protecting user privacy. It offers end-to-end encryption out of the box, which means that your conversations are fully encrypted and only the sender and receiver can read the messages. After the transition from Rio to Element, the secure messaging app has become more enterprise-friendly.
Source: beebom.com
18 Best Discord Alternatives 2020 | Expert Reviews
Element, formerly known as Riot, is a great alternative to Discord with many of the same features and functions. What sets Element apart is that it was created using open-source software, which allows for customization and flexibility. Element is based on a reaction-based software called Matrix, which allows you to bring other communication channels into the app as well as...
5 best secure private messengers
Neither Riot nor Matrix have been fully audited, although Olm and Megolm have been. Riot.im has been criticized the past for its rather basic user interface, but this no longer true. It still lags behind the futuristic flashiness of Wire, but Riot is now a highly capable messenger with functionality often compared to the corporate messaging workhorse, Slack.
Source: proprivacy.com
11 Alternatives to Whatsapp that Actually Respect Your Privacy
Formerly Riot.im, Element uses Matrix as a back end, and is an excellent chat app for those who like open source from end to end. Everything from the chat client, the chat protocol, and the video conferencing software are all open source, which is an important part of why Element is so respectful of your privacy. In the open source community, people are generally very...

BrowserStack Reviews

Top Selenium Alternatives
BrowserStack is another leading cloud-based testing platform that offers access to a vast array of browsers and real mobile devices. It's designed to simplify the testing process by allowing tests to run in parallel across different environments, significantly reducing the time needed for comprehensive testing. BrowserStack features include live, interactive testing,...
Source: bugbug.io
Why choose HeadSpin over BrowserStack?
Companies like HeadSpin and BrowserStack play a significant role in fulfilling the demand for testing on real devices and cross-browser devices. Their ability to test on real devices online and monitor digital experiences adds to the value proposition of organizations implementing testing solutions. However, every company has different requirements and here are a few reasons...
Source: www.headspin.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, BrowserStack should be more popular than Element.io. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Element.io mentions (1)

BrowserStack mentions (8)

  • Show HN: Quell – AI QA Agent Working Across Linear, Vercel, Jira, Netlify, Figma
    This is pretty cool - the Jira/Linear integration could save a ton of manual work. How do you handle test data setup and teardown? That's usually where these workflows get messy. For alternatives in this space, there's qawolf (https://qawolf.com) for similar automated testing workflows, or I'm actually building bug0 (https://bug0.com) which also does AI-powered test automation, still in beta. For the more... - Source: Hacker News / 24 days ago
  • 🛑 Stop resizing your browser: improve testing for responsiveness
    Platforms like Browserstack or SauceLabs offer virtual instances of real devices and browsers for manual and end-to-end testing. Caveat: subscriptions cost money and are on a per-seat basis. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Unsupported country
    If you go to browserstack.com (a website to test other websites) you can probably to the chatgpt url and sign up there. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Windows vs Mac?
    For testing on Mac or iOS, use browserstack.com, you'll spend considerably less using that than you would buying the actual hardware. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Free methods for testing websites/apps across devices?
    I've seen subscription services such as browserstack.com and lambdatest.com but I believe they cost to get the full range of mac browsers and devices. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Element.io and BrowserStack, you can also consider the following products

Matrix.org - Matrix is an open standard for decentralized persistent communication over IP.

LambdaTest - Perform Web Testing on 2000+ Browsers & OS

Telegram - Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.

Sauce Labs - Test mobile or web apps instantly across 700+ browser/OS/device platform combinations - without infrastructure setup.

Signal - Fast, simple & secure messaging. Privacy that fits in your pocket.

Selenium - Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.