Element
InVision
| Feature | Element | InVision |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $5/mo | Free / from $7.95/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, governments, privacy-focused-orgs, developers | design-teams, product-managers, stakeholder-reviews, legacy-users |
| Founded | 2017 | 2011 |
| Encrypted Messaging | ✓ | ✗ |
| Voice Video Calls | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spaces | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bridges | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Federation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✗ | ✓ |
| Freehand Whiteboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Design Systems | ✗ | ✓ |
| Inspect Mode | ✗ | ✓ |
| Commenting | ✗ | ✓ |
| User Testing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Element Pros
- Decentralized architecture
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-hosting option
- Bridges to other platforms
✗ Element Cons
- Complex setup for non-technical users
- Smaller ecosystem
- Performance can lag on large rooms
✓ InVision Pros
- Excellent prototyping with hotspots and transitions
- Freehand whiteboarding for brainstorming
- Design system manager (DSM) for consistency
- Good stakeholder review and commenting workflow
✗ InVision Cons
- Company has pivoted and scaled down significantly
- Studio product was discontinued
- Most teams have migrated to Figma
The Verdict
Element is built for open source teams and governments, with a focus on encrypted-messaging and voice-video-calls. InVision targets design teams and product managers and leads with prototyping and freehand-whiteboard.
Pricing is close: Element starts at $5/mo versus $7.95/mo for InVision — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Element edges out on user ratings (4.2 vs 3.8). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Element has a slight overall edge — but if excellent prototyping with hotspots and transitions matters most to you, InVision may still be the right call.