Head-to-head · Video Conferencing
Zoom vs Element
Which one to pick in 2026 — comparing 🇺🇸 Zoom with the European alternative 🇪🇺 Element on the things that actually decide who can read your data.
🇺🇸 Zoomvs🇪🇺 Element
Verdict
Who has stronger privacy guarantees by law?
Element — GDPR-native and outside the US CLOUD Act / FISA 702 reach.
Which one encrypts your data end-to-end by default?
Neither ships full E2E by default — check the table for nuance.
Which one tracks you for ads?
Neither monetises through ad tracking.
Which one is open source?
Element is open source. Zoom is proprietary.
Side-by-side
Zoom vs Element — full comparison
Criteria
🇪🇺 Element
🇺🇸 Zoom
Headquarters
United Kingdom
San Jose, USA
Jurisdiction
France
USA
Data location
Global (user choice)
Global (some EU routing)
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
No
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
Yes
No
Ownership
Element (formerly New Vector)
Zoom Video Communications
Founded
2017
2011
Make the switch
Try Element instead of Zoom
A free, secure and decentralized communication and collaboration app.
Other European alternatives to Zoom