Comparison

Grandstream Wave vs Element X

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Grandstream Wave

This app transforms your device into a powerful softphone, enabling high-quality audio and video calls, and seamless meeting participation. Connect to your IP PBX system to call extensions, landlines, and mobile numbers from anywhere with a network connection.

Highlights
  • High-quality audio and video calls
  • Schedule and attend meetings
  • Join meetings without logging in
  • Connect to UCM63XX series IP PBX
  • Call extensions, landlines, and mobiles
  • Create and join meetings
Features
Read full description

Wave turns your device into a softphone that can connect, call, and video conference from anywhere by connecting to a Grandstream UCM63XX series IP PBX. It supports key features such as high-quality audio and video calls, scheduling and attending meeting, and allows joining meetings without logging in. As long as there is a network connection, users can register to UCM63XX series extensions, directly call other extensions, landlines, and mobile numbers, as well as create and join meetings. With Wave, users can enjoy calls and meetings no matter where they are, boosting communication efficiency and productivity for your enterprise.

About

Element X

Communicate securely and privately with instant messaging and video calls. This app offers robust features for individuals and communities, allowing you to own your data and choose where it's hosted. Enjoy real-time communication with synchronized history across all your devices.

Highlights
  • Real-time messaging
  • Video calls
  • Public and private rooms
  • Rich messaging features
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Data ownership and server choice
Features
Read full description

Freedom to communicate on your own terms For individuals and communities - private communication between family, friends, hobby groups, clubs, etc. Element X gives you fast, secure and private instant messaging and video calls built on Matrix, the open standard for real-time communication. This is a free and open-source app maintained at https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios Stay in touch with friends, family and communities with: • Real time messaging & video calls • Public rooms for open group communication • Private rooms for closed group communication • Rich messaging features: emoji reactions, replies, polls, pinned messages and more. • Video calling while browsing messages. • Interoperability with other Matrix-based apps such as FluffyChat, Cinny and many more. Privacy-first Unlike some other messengers from Big Tech companies, we don’t mine your data or monitor your communications. Own your conversations Choose where to host your data - from any public server (the largest free server is matrix.org, but there are plenty of others to choose from) to creating your own personal server and hosting it on your own domain. This ability to choose a server is a large part of what differentiates us from other real time communication apps. However you host, you have ownership; it’s your data. You’re not the product. You’re in control. Communicate in real time, all the time Use Element everywhere. Stay in touch wherever you are with fully synchronised message history across all your devices, including on the web at https://app.element.io Element X is our next-generation app If you’re using the previous-generation Element Classic app, it’s time to try Element X! It’s faster, easier to use, and more powerful than the classic app. It’s better in every way and we’re adding new features all the time.

Screenshots

Grandstream Wave4 screens
Element X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Element X at 3.4 against Grandstream Wave's 2.6. Element X also leads on review sentiment (39% vs 12%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Grandstream Wave's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Element X holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 51 and 169 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Grandstream Wave's written reviews are positive against 39% of Element X's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grandstream Wave ships an update every 5 weeks, Element X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Grandstream Wave versus Element X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrandstream WaveElement X
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (51 ratings)3.4 (169 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.1% of reviews38.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51169 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size116 MB341 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGrandstreamVector Creations Limited

Customer experience

Grandstream Wave

All ratings51 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral7.8%
Negative58.8%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive12.1%
Neutral9.3%
Negative78.5%

Element X

All ratings162 ratings
Positive56.8%
Neutral13.6%
Negative29.6%
Written reviews188 reviews
Positive38.8%
Neutral19.7%
Negative41.5%

In-app purchases

None

Grandstream Wave

No in-app purchases

None

Element X

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Grandstream Wave free?
Grandstream Wave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Element X free?
Element X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Grandstream Wave or Element X?
Element X is rated higher. Grandstream Wave averages 2.6 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Element X averages 3.4 from 169 ratings.
Do Grandstream Wave or Element X have ads?
Neither Grandstream Wave nor Element X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grandstream Wave or Element X?
Grandstream Wave ships an update every 5 weeks, and Element X fortnightly. Most recently, Grandstream Wave was updated on November 3, 2026 and Element X on November 7, 2026.

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