How is this different from Mattermost or Rocket.Chat?

Mattermost and Rocket.Chat are excellent team messengers, but closed on themselves: you only talk to members of the same server. Matrix is federated — your users exchange with people on other Matrix servers, like e-mail addresses across different domains.

What VPS configuration is needed?

2 GB of RAM is enough for a team or a family: at rest the whole stack uses about 300 MB. Plan for more RAM and disk if you join large public rooms, whose history Synapse keeps.

Can I use the Matrix mobile apps?

Yes. Element exists for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux, and any Matrix client works. Just enter your domain as the homeserver: the delegation set up by the installation does the rest.

Share information and collaborate.

Matrix (Synapse)

Federated, end-to-end encrypted messaging — your own domain, your own server.

2 GB RAM 2 vCPU Port 8080 Available

Source code

Tech stack

DockerSynapseElementPostgreSQL 16nginx

Minimum RAM2 GB

Minimum CPU2 vCPU

Default port8080

Compatible OSChoice of Linux distributions

Matrix is an open protocol for federated, end-to-end encrypted instant messaging. Synapse is its reference server; Element is the web application your team uses every day. Both are installed together here, behind your domain.

Unlike a closed team chat, a Matrix server talks to every other Matrix server: your users reach people on other servers the way e-mail addresses reach other domains — while your messages, files and history stay on your own machine. Public registration is closed by default, and the administrator account is created for you at first boot.

One thing to know before ordering: the domain name becomes the server's identity (`@alice:your-domain`), written into every user ID, room and signed event. It cannot be changed afterwards, so the installation deliberately refuses to start without a domain attached.

Key features

Federation with every other Matrix server — no walled garden

End-to-end encryption, enabled per room

Element web client served on your domain, already pointed at your server

Official apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux

Public registration closed by default; administrator account created at first boot

PostgreSQL storage and automatic .well-known delegation

When to use this solution?

1

Sovereign team messaging

Keep conversations, files and history on your own server while still reaching contacts on other Matrix servers.

2

Associations and communities

Run a members' server with closed registration, encrypted rooms and no per-seat billing.

3

Sensitive professions

End-to-end encryption plus self-hosting: neither the content nor the metadata passes through a third party.

Deploy Matrix (Synapse) on your VPS

Guide optimized for ServOrbit Cloud VPS.

01

Create the VPS and ATTACH the domain

VPS with 2 GB RAM minimum, Ubuntu 24.04. The domain is not optional here: attach it AT install time. Matrix writes the domain name into the server's own identity, and the installation deliberately stops if no domain is supplied — a clean failure beats a server you would have to rebuild.

02

First login

The admin account is created automatically at first boot. Its password is generated randomly on your server: find it in your client area, on the application's page (ADMIN_PASSWORD). Open https://your-domain — the Element interface is already pointed at your own server.

03

Invite your team

Public registration is CLOSED by default: this is your server, not an open service. Create accounts from the administration, or open registration if you prefer a public server.

04

Check federation

Your server publishes its .well-known delegation automatically, which is how other Matrix servers and mobile apps find it. Test your domain on federationtester.matrix.org to confirm federation answers.

05

Turn on encryption and back up

End-to-end encryption is enabled per room. Remember to save the recovery keys: without them an encrypted message stays unreadable even after restoring the server.

Frequently asked questions

Matrix is an open protocol for federated, end-to-end encrypted instant messaging. Synapse is its reference server and Element its web application. Hosting your own makes you independent of any provider while staying reachable from other Matrix servers.

Because the domain name becomes the server's identity: your user IDs look like @alice:your-domain, and that name is written into every room and every signed message. It cannot be changed afterwards — you would have to start over. The installation therefore refuses to start without a domain.

Embed the deploy button

Maintaining a project that uses Matrix (Synapse)? This button lets your readers deploy it on a VPS in one click, without reading Docker documentation.

Markdown

[![Deploy Matrix (Synapse) on ServOrbit](https://servorbit.com/brand/deploy/button.svg)](https://servorbit.com/vps-cloud?template=matrix-synapse&utm_source=deploy-badge&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=matrix-synapse)

HTML

<a href="https://servorbit.com/vps-cloud?template=matrix-synapse&utm_source=deploy-badge&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=matrix-synapse"><img src="https://servorbit.com/brand/deploy/button.svg" alt="Deploy Matrix (Synapse) on ServOrbit" height="40"></a>

The button points to a VPS order with the template preselected. The image is served from servorbit.com — nothing to host on your side.

Complementary solutions

Collaboration & Productivity

Activate Matrix (Synapse) on your infrastructure.

Dedicated Cloud VPS — IPv4 included, European datacenter, support included. Your data never leaves your server.

Recommended configuration: 2 GB RAM · 2 vCPU