Micup vs Element
Micup (micup.gg) is a hosted community app with voice channels, 3D rooms and table games, while Element is a Matrix client built around end-to-end encryption and servers you can run yourself. If encryption, federation or your own infrastructure come first, choose Element; if your group wants to hang out, talk and play with nothing to set up, choose Micup.
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How do Micup and Element compare?
Checked on both sides on 31 October 2026. Upload limits for Element depend on the Matrix homeserver you use; the numbers here are for the public matrix.org homeserver only. "Not listed" means the cited page does not show it.
| Topic | Micup | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Price and audience | ||
| Free option | Yes Free hosted account and servers | Yes Community: free, AGPL, 1 to 100 users1 |
| Paid option | Plus: $1.99 a month, for one person | Enterprise per seat, Sovereign per deployment; amounts not published1 |
| Main audience | Friend groups and communities | Organisations and secure collaboration1 |
| Files | ||
| File upload, free | 25 MB | 10 MB per file and 100 MB per day on matrix.org2 |
| File upload, paid | 500 MB with Plus | 100 MB per file and 1 GB per day with matrix.org Premium2 |
| Privacy | ||
| End-to-end encrypted messages | No | Yes By default, according to Element3 |
| Group calls | Yes Voice channels and calls, with camera and screen sharing | Yes Element Call; an older post says up to 100 people comfortably4 |
| Platforms | ||
| Browser | Yes | Yes5 |
| Desktop apps | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux5 |
| Android | Yes Google Play | Yes Element X6 |
| iOS | No In development | Yes Element X7 |
| Consoles and VR | No | Not listed on its download page5 |
| 3D and games | ||
| 3D rooms | Yes 5 free rooms on computers | Not listed5 |
| Built-in table games | Yes Six | Not listed5 |
| Source and hosting | ||
| Licence | Yes AGPLv3: web app, server, desktop app | Yes AGPL-3.0, with a commercial licence option8 |
| Run your own server | No Offered as a hosted service | Yes Yes, on Matrix8 |
Where is Micup ahead?
Micup is simpler for a friend group. You do not choose a homeserver: you sign up, create a server and share a link, and voice channels are there from the start.
- A voice channel can open as one of 5 3D rooms where people hang out as avatars, in a desktop browser or the desktop app, for free. No VR headset needed.
- Six table games are built into 3D rooms: Okey, 101 Okey, backgammon, chess, draughts and Turkish draughts.
- Free uploads are 25 MB per file, against 10 MB on the public matrix.org homeserver.
- Plus costs $1.99 a month for one person, as a one-time purchase or a subscription. Taxes and local prices may vary.
- Every server gets 500 custom emoji and 500 sticker slots without boosts, and 8 soundboard slots.
- A built-in Feed lets people post, follow each other and run polls outside any server.
Where is Element ahead?
- Encryption: Element says messages are end-to-end encrypted by default. Micup text messages are not, and Micup makes no end-to-end claim for calls.
- Control: you can run your own Matrix server. Micup does not offer that.
- Federation: Matrix servers talk to each other, so you are not tied to one provider.
- iOS: Element X has an iPhone app. Micup does not yet.
- Organisations: Element sells Enterprise and Sovereign plans. Micup has no business plan or team billing.
How do you move from Element to Micup?
- Check first whether you rely on encryption. If you do, stay on Element for those conversations.
- Create a free Micup account and a server.
- Rebuild your rooms as text and voice channels, and set roles. There is no Matrix import.
- Create an invite with “Invite friends” and share it with your group.
Who should pick which?
- Pick Element if you handle sensitive conversations, want your own server, or work in an organisation that needs that control.
- Pick Micup if you run a friend group or community that wants voice rooms, avatars and games, and does not need encrypted chat.
- A group can use both: Element for private conversations and Micup for hanging out.
Does Micup replace Element for privacy?
No. Micup's privacy policy says text messages are not end-to-end encrypted by default, and they can be accessed for moderation, security incidents and lawful requests. Connections use TLS, and voice and video are not recorded. Micup does not sell personal data or use advertising cookies, and Google Analytics is on by default with an option to turn it off.
If you came here because you want an app the operator can't read, Micup is the wrong tool and Element is a better fit. Note that encryption defaults on Element can differ in public rooms.
Frequently asked questions
Is Micup end-to-end encrypted like Element?
No. Text messages on Micup are not end-to-end encrypted, and Micup does not claim end-to-end encryption for calls. Element says it encrypts messages end to end by default.
Are both open source?
Yes. Element's clients are under AGPL-3.0 with a commercial licence option. Micup's web app, server and desktop app are open source under AGPLv3.
Can I run Micup on my own server like Matrix?
Micup is offered as a hosted service. Its source is published, but we do not offer or support a version you run yourself.
Is Element free?
Its Community plan is free under the AGPL for 1 to 100 users. The public matrix.org homeserver is free with a 10 MB file limit, and it has a paid Premium tier.
Does Element have 3D rooms or games?
Its download page does not list them. Micup has five 3D rooms and six table games on computers.
Sources
- element.io/pricing Accessed:
- matrix.org/homeserver/pricing Accessed:
- element.io/en/features/end-to-end-encryption Accessed:
- element.io/blog/element-call-beta-3 Accessed:
- element.io/en/download Accessed:
- github.com/element-hq/element-x-android Accessed:
- github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios Accessed:
- github.com/element-hq/element-web Accessed:
Element is a trademark of Element Creations Limited; Micup is not affiliated with that company.
Get Micup
3D rooms and table games open on computers, in the browser and the desktop app.