Element vs Atom- What's the Difference?
Two Editors, Two Philosophies
Atom and Element are both GitHub projects, both built on Electron, and both deal with text. That's where the similarities end.
Atom is a full-featured code editor with package support, themes, and Git integration. Element is a stripped-down, minimal text editor that GitHub released as an open-source experiment. They serve completely different purposes.
Most people comparing these two are actually confused about what Element is. Let me clear that up first.
What Is Element?
Element is GitHub's minimal text editor project. It's not meant to replace Atom or VS Code. It's a bare-bones editor with no package ecosystem, no theme support, and no plugin system.
GitHub released Element to experiment with a different approach: a text editor with almost nothing built in. You get syntax highlighting, line numbers, and basic file operations. That's it.
The project is open-source, but it never gained significant traction. It remains a niche tool for specific use cases rather than a mainstream editor choice.
What Is Atom?
Atom is GitHub's hackable text editor. It launched in 2014 and quickly became one of the most popular code editors available. The entire UI is built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—developers can modify or replace anything.
Atom includes:
- Built-in Git and GitHub integration
- A package manager with thousands of community packages
- Multiple themes and full UI customization
- Cross-platform support
- Split panes, fuzzy file finder, and smart autocompletion
GitHub discontinued Atom in December 2022. The project is archived but still functional. Security updates stopped, which is the main concern if you're still using it.
Element vs Atom: Direct Comparison
| Feature | Atom | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Full code editor | Minimal text editor |
| Packages | Thousands available | None |
| Git Integration | Built-in | No |
| Themes | Yes | No |
| Status | Discontinued (2022) | Open-source, limited development |
| Performance | Heavy, slower startup | Fast, lightweight |
| Learning Curve | Steeper | Near zero |
Why Element Exists
GitHub created Element to test a theory: what if an editor had almost no features? Just open, edit, save. No distractions, no configuration, no dependencies to manage.
For casual text editing or quick note-taking, Element works fine. For anything involving code, version control, or project management, Atom was always the better choice.
The experiment showed that most developers want more than a bare editor. The package ecosystem is what made Atom popular. Element proved that minimalism has a ceiling—even if that ceiling is higher than some people expect.
Should You Use Either One?
Atom: Only if you're maintaining legacy projects or prefer the interface over alternatives. For new projects, use VS Code, which is actively maintained and has absorbed much of Atom's ecosystem.
Element: Only for basic text editing when you want something extremely simple. Most users won't find a reason to choose Element over any other lightweight editor.
Getting Started
If you want to try Element:
- Find the Element repository on GitHub
- Clone or download the project
- Run the application (it uses Electron)
- Open any text file and start editing
If you're coming from Atom and want a similar experience without the security risks:
- Download VS Code
- Install the Atom Keymap extension for familiar shortcuts
- Install the Atom One Dark theme if you liked Atom's default look
- Your muscle memory transfers almost completely
The Real Answer
Element and Atom aren't competitors. Element is a proof-of-concept. Atom is a full application that served millions of developers for nearly a decade.
If you're comparing them to decide which to use in 2024: use neither. Both are effectively dead projects. VS Code is the direct successor to Atom's position in the ecosystem. Element never had a real position to begin with.
The comparison only matters for historical understanding or niche use cases. For everything else, look elsewhere.