Microsoft Teams is an alternative
to Element
$40/mo (Teams Essentials) vs Element at — — covering 29% of the 7 compared capabilities.
Same job. Way less money.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
10 seats, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
plan at —, the cheapest paid plan.
Teams Essentials: 48 USD/yearly; 9 extra seat(s) × 48 USD.
We list 1 assessed alternative; Element's own price is not verified yet, so no cheaper-than claim is made.
Capability comparison
Microsoft Teams covers 29% of the 7 capabilities compared against Element. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Microsoft Teams | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Channels & group messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Threaded conversations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Unlimited message history | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio/video calls & screen sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| App integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Compliance exports & audit logs | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self-hosted deployment | ✗ | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Element has that Microsoft Teams lacks.
- Threaded conversations — Reply within a thread instead of the main channel feed.Missing from Microsoft Teams.
- Unlimited message history — Search and access message history without a retention limit.Missing from Microsoft Teams.
- App integrations — Connect other apps and tools into the chat.Missing from Microsoft Teams.
- Compliance exports & audit logs — Export message history and audit logs for compliance.Missing from Microsoft Teams.
- Self-hosted deployment — Run the chat platform on your own infrastructure.Missing from Microsoft Teams.
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
| Scenario | Element | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 3 seats | — | $12/mo (Teams Essentials) |
| 10 seats | — | $40/mo (Teams Essentials) |
| 25 seats | — | $100/mo (Teams Essentials) |
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Teams Essentials | $4/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $23.50/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
| Community | Free |
| Enterprise | Contact sales |
| Sovereign | Contact sales |
Frequently asked
What does Microsoft Teams lack compared with Element?
Threaded conversations, Unlimited message history, App integrations, Compliance exports & audit logs, Self-hosted deployment — 5 of the 7 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Element: 2026-09-07; Microsoft Teams: 2026-08-25 — on the official pricing pages.
Sources & freshness
- https://element.io/pricing (official_pricing, checked 2026-09-07)
- Microsoft Teams data last verified 2026-08-25