When comparing Chatlink.com vs Element (formerly Riot), the Slant community recommends Element (formerly Riot) for most people. In the question“What are the best ways to transmit sensitive information over the Internet?” Element (formerly Riot) is ranked 2nd while Chatlink.com is ranked 19th. The most important reason people chose Element (formerly Riot) is:
You're not confined within Element's or even Matrix garden, and you don't have to make users of other networks switch to Matrix.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Even the website owners have no access to the data
Because the encryption keys are generated in client browser and never sent to the server.
Pro All communiction is also encrypted with AES-256
All this encryption takes place at client side, so that even the server administrators have no access to the data.
Pro No need to install anything
Pro All communication is protected with TLS (SSL)
Pro No need to create an account
But creating an account can be useful, too: while having an account the key exchange can be done through public key cryptography.
Pro You can delete messages any time
Pro Chatlink.com does not track or follow you in any way
It does not save any cookies or have any external links (like Google Adwords for example) that could track you.
Pro Chatlink.com is open source
The source code is available here. Being open source allows anyone to audit the code.
Pro Bridges to other networks
You're not confined within Element's or even Matrix garden, and you don't have to make users of other networks switch to Matrix.
Pro Markdown support
Code snippets in chats can be highlighted with Markdown.
Pro Simple interface
Element has a very simple interface, adding the ability for more inexperienced users to use it.
Pro VOIP and Videoconferencing
Pro Supports encryption
Element allows for fully encrypted text, voice, and video chatting.
Pro Widgets support
Want to watch that flick at YouTube and discuss it at the same time? Have Grafana graphs stacked above your DevOps team chat? Collaboratively edit Google Docs and chat over without switching applications? This is possible with Element.
Pro Decentralized
An open network for secure, decentralized communication.
Pro Self-hosting and federated network
Pro Libre/open source
Pro Search
Search messages in your current room, or all the rooms you're in. Not subject to a message history limit like Slack.
Pro Cross platform
Web browser
Linux
OS X
Windows
Android
iOS
Pro Large existing community
With public rooms for many people, and you can create your own and let people from the community join.
Pro Etherpad real-time document collaboration
An easy to activate integration that allows multiple authors to edit a document simultaneously.
Pro File Sharing
Pro Supports text, voice, video
Cons
Con Currently no file transfer is available
