Element Classic vs Google Chat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Element Classic
This app is a legacy version of a communication platform, offering secure messaging and collaboration. It will receive security updates until the end of 2025 but no new features.
- Secure messaging
- Collaboration
- Legacy version
- Security updates
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Element Classic is the previous-generation of Element mobile app. Friends, family and communities should use the free and open source Element X app which is faster, easier to use, and more powerful. New users of public sector organisations, enterprises and professional teams users should use the Element Pro app that is built for work and organizations. Element Classic is available at least until the end of 2025 and will receive critical security updates but no further enhancements or new features.
Google Chat
Connect, collaborate, and accomplish tasks with AI-powered messaging. Streamline teamwork with integrations and smart features. Securely communicate with your team, whether in real-time or asynchronously.
- AI-powered conversation summaries
- Automatic message translation
- AI-powered search
- Action item capture
- Real-time huddles
- Integration with Workspace apps
- Smart chips for linking
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Google Chat is the best way for teams using Workspace to connect, collaborate and get things done. AI-first messaging & collaboration, transformed by Gemini • Stay on top of things with conversation summaries • Automatically translate messages across more than 120 languages • Find what you’re looking for with AI-powered search • Capture action items so the whole team is on the same page Everything teams need to stay connected and get work done • Start a chat with a colleague, a group or even your whole team • Tell your team when you’re heads-down or ready to connect with personalized status updates • Share detailed updates with audio & video messages • Connect in real-time, anytime with huddles The full power of Workspace to transform your teamwork • Integrated with Workspace apps like Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Tasks, and Meet • Streamline teamwork with smart chips to link files, people and spaces • Stay on top of requests, comments and approvals with the Google Drive app for Chat • Install powerful, popular Chat apps like PagerDuty, Jira, GitHub, Workday, and many more • Build no-code, low-code and pro-code apps with Chat APIs Secure • Protected by Google’s cloud-native, zero-trust architecture • No desktop apps to patch, no data stored on end-user devices • Keeps data safe with AI-powered data loss prevention (DLP) plus phishing & malware detection • Migrate away from insecure legacy platforms Chat is included as part of Google Workspace for consumer, education, and business customers. Some premium features require a paid subscription. Follow us for more: Twitter: https://twitter.com/googleworkspace Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/googleworkspace Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/googleworkspace/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Google Chat at 4.6 against Element Classic's 3.3. Google Chat also leads on ratings volume (306K vs 578) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Element Classic's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Google Chat holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Chat has 306K ratings behind it against 578, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Element Classic's written reviews are positive against 47% of Google Chat's.
Element Classic ships an update monthly, Google Chat weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Element Classic | Google Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (578 ratings) | 4.6 (306K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | 47.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 578 | 306K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #32 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 172 MB | 394 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vector Creations Limited | |
Customer experience
Element Classic
Google Chat
User reviews
Element Classic
From 578 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🌐 Decentralized and open-source
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📚 Steep learning curve
- 🤔 Confusing user experience
- 🚫 Lack of key features
Google Chat
From 306K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Convenient for contacting friends
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient messaging
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Google Suite
- 👍 Useful for business communication
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 🤔 Confusing layout and UI
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and security
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 🤔 Lacks key features from previous Google messaging apps
Bugs and requests
Element Classic
Reported bugs
5 issues- Constant crashes and freezes
- Issues with message decryption and verification
- Unreliable notifications and sync issues
- Inability to leave or delete empty rooms
- Problems with image and video sharing
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to pause notifications
- Option to set messages to disappear after a certain time
- Improved search functionality
- Better integration with other apps and services
- Customizable font size and notification sounds
Google Chat
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inconsistent message delivery and notification issues
- Trouble uploading media and files
- Compatibility problems on older devices
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- Add voice/video call functionality
- Improve group chat management
- Implement read receipts
- Allow customization and personalization
- Integrate SMS/MMS support
In-app purchases
Element Classic
No in-app purchases
Google Chat
No in-app purchases
