QKSMS vs Element (formerly Riot)

When a new sms is received, a window will pop up that has the message and allows answering it from there, without having to open the app. It can be dismissed by tapping anywhere else on the screen.

Users can set different notification settings per user as an easy way to know who is messaging without having to look at the actual message.

Users can communicate with large groups at the same time due to the included group messaging feature. This is convenient when trying to synchronize with friends or colleagues.

While QKSMS is one of the younger apps, the developer is quickly adding features/fixing bugs.

The app is available for free with an optional donation IAP that ranges from $1-$10.

Responsive, highly customizable Material Design interface makes for a native looking app that fits in well with Google's UI design guidelines.

Through delayed messaging one can set it up so that a message is not sent automatically. This can help for those times that it may be best to think something over before sending out a rash message.

There are light and dark themes available within the settings which can be switched depending on how light it is around one when using the app. The dark theme can also help to conserve battery when being used as not as much brightness and hence battery will be used.

Users can schedule messages to be sent for later.

Those that own an Android Wear device will be able to set it to receive their messages on the Android Wear device making for convenient notifications and easy messaging through not having to take their phone out.

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.

Code snippets in chats can be highlighted with Markdown.

Element has a very simple interface, adding the ability for more inexperienced users to use it.

Element allows for fully encrypted text, voice, and video chatting.

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.

An open network for secure, decentralized communication.

Search messages in your current room, or all the rooms you're in. Not subject to a message history limit like Slack.

Web browser
Linux
OS X
Windows
Android
iOS

With public rooms for many people, and you can create your own and let people from the community join.

An easy to activate integration that allows multiple authors to edit a document simultaneously.