In simple English
This tool lets groups of people talk on video and voice calls. It connects to Matrix, which is an open network for secure chat. You can use it as a standalone web page or embed it inside other chat apps. The software is free to use and self-host under an open-source licence. Running it yourself requires setting up a media server and handling security certificates.
What it is
Element Call is a video conferencing application built on WebRTC and the LiveKit (a media server that handles real-time audio and video streams) streaming backend. It communicates across different servers using Matrix open standards.
What it is good for
Teams and communities who already use Matrix for chat and want private video calls without relying on commercial services like Zoom or Google Meet.
- Decentralized design works across different Matrix chat servers.
- End-to-end encryption keeps your conversations private.
- Can run as a standalone app, a widget, or an embedded component.
- Complex self-hosting setup requiring Docker, reverse proxies, and custom TLS certificates.
- AGPL-3.0 licence requires releasing your source code if you modify and host it as a service.
- Heavy dependency stack including Node.js, pnpm, and LiveKit.
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git clone https://github.com/element-hq/element-call.git cd element-call corepack enable pnpm install pnpm dev