Comparison

Element X vs Grid

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

Head to head
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.

About

Grid

Share your location privately and securely with end-to-end encryption. Control who sees your location and for how long, with options for temporary or long-term groups. The core service is free and open source.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted location sharing
  • One-to-one and group sharing
  • Temporary and long-term groups
  • Self-hosting capability
  • Custom map providers
  • Optional satellite maps
Read full description

Share locations with friends, family or anybody you choose with privacy in your hands. Our end-to-end encrypted service ensures your location data stays safe and under your control. No selling, no sharing– just the privacy you deserve and trust you can count on. Grid is free and open source, and utilizes the Matrix Protocol for end-to-end encryption so only those you choose know where you are. - Add contacts for one to one location sharing - Create long term or short term and temporary groups - Self hosting capability using the Matrix Protocol - Custom map provider through Protomaps - Self hosted map provider capability Terms of Use: https://mygrid.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://mygrid.app/privacy Grid is created by Rezivure, a tech company dedicated to tools that enhance digital privacy. Without privacy we do not have freedom. To check out our source code, visit https://www.github.com/Rezivure To learn more or see new updates, go to https://mygrid.app

Screenshots

Element X4 screens
Grid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Grid at 4.7 against Element X's 3.4. Grid also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 39%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). Element X's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Grid sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Element X asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Grid holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element X has 162 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Element X's written reviews are positive against 80% of Grid's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Element X ships an update fortnightly, Grid every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Element X versus Grid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElement XGrid
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (162 ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.8% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings162 — better15
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size341 MB58 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperVector Creations LimitedRezivure LLC

Customer experience

Element X

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

Grid

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

Element X

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Grid

Subscriptions1
  • Satellite Maps$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Element X free?
Element X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Grid free?
Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Element X or Grid?
Grid is rated higher. Element X averages 3.4 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while Grid averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do Element X or Grid have ads?
Neither Element X nor Grid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Element X or Grid?
Element X ships an update fortnightly, and Grid every 2 months. Most recently, Element X was updated on October 27, 2026 and Grid on October 25, 2026.

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