Introduction:
In this article, I have researched and reviewed the best self-hosted chat platforms for both personal and business communication. Here is my list of the most popular chat platforms for Android, iOS, and Web, that can be hosted on your own servers.
Self-hosted chat platforms or software are a set of communication features that are integrated into chat apps, and are maintained o n a company’s own servers. In this article, I’ll give a detailed overview on the top platforms that are preferred by expert developers to build enterprise-grade chat messengers.
Get Set! Let’s Check Out The Best Self-Hosted Chat Software Out There!
1. MirrorFly
The Most Developer-friendly Self Hosted Chat Software
Best For: Apps need 100% customization and control of their in app chat features
MirrorFly is leading in app communication provider that offers feature-rich APIs and SDKs for building chat, video and voice calls into apps. As a developer-friendly platform, MirrorFly’s Customizable chat solution is a great fit for both personal and business apps. This allows wider customization and 100% control over your app’s security and hosting infrastructure.
Pros
● MirrorFly is a self-hosted chat software for building in app communication
● Allows complete customization
● The platform is open-source
● The API supports cross-platform messaging
● Quick and easy to set up
● The APIs adhere to GDPR and HIPAA compliance
Cons
● MirrorFly does not support recording video sessions
● Does not allow create meeting agendas
Easily Customizable Instant Messaging Platform
Best For: Apps that need easy installation of communication features
2. Wickr
Wickr has been in the market since 2012 and was acquired by Amazon on June 25, 2021. Since then, it has been a part of Amazon Web Services-AWS supporting both SaaS and SaaP pricing models. If you look closer into the market scenario, you’ll notice that some of the best self-managed apps widely used in the industry are built upon this platform. You can majorly use wickr for integrating collaboration features like chat, video calls, and voice calls, into your apps and easily deploy them on your own servers.
Pros
● Protects conversations with End to End Encryption
● Setup is easy
● Wickr is a secure business chat software
● Free plan is available
Cons
● The Free plan has only limited features
● Paid plans are not budget-friendly
● Wickr’s Github codes are not open-source
3. Zulip
Highly Flexible Platform For Third-Party Integrations
Best For: Business apps that can collaborate with other enterprise apps
Zulip is a great option for developers looking for open-source software to build a full-on communication infrastructure. The platform hosts its features on your own network to give you complete control over its customization and deployment. Among other self-hosted chat software, Zulip flaunts its 90+ native integrations, supporting more from Zapier and IFTTT alongside
Pros ● Zulip avails APIs to build integrations
● The codes are developer-friendly
● Renders threading approach
● The team chat from Zulip is open-source
● Migration is easy from other chat messengers
Cons
● The learning curve of Zulip is too steep
● Provides only minimal features
4. Jitsi
A Whitelabel Chat Platform With Intuitive UI
Best For: Businesses & Marketplace apps that need responsive chat interfaces
Jitsi is a beautifully designed open-source, self hosted chat software with a visually compelling UI and seamlessly high-quality audio and video outputs. Using this
WebRTC-compatible platform, you can easily add immersive communication features to your apps. This live chat platform provides 2 different products, namely Jitsi Video bridge and Jitsi Meet which consists of real-time communication tools to elevate the interaction facilities within your app.
Pros
● Jitsi is an open-source community
● Protects the audio & video files with encoding & decoding
● It offers the best private chat rooms
● Provides calls, chat, video conferencing & file transfer
● Offers video recording and live streaming
Cons
● Occasional connectivity issues
5. Matrix.Org
Robust Software With Scalable Chat Features
Best For App developers building real-time communication features
Matrix.org is the final provider in the list of our top performing self hosted instant messaging software in the industry. The key highlight of this platform is that it uses the Olm and Megolm cryptographic ratchets to protect user conversations across your apps. You can use their RESTful HTTP/JSON APIs to build features like direct messaging, chat rooms, and chatbots for your chat app users. This whitelabel chat software also adopts the decentralized conversation architecture to copy the chats to servers where active user participation is identified.
Pros
● Allows customization of chat features
● Interoperable with other communication integrations
● Matrix’s self-hosted chat server offers end-to-end control over user data
● Uses decentralized architecture
Cons
● Does not offer cloud hosting
● The learning curve of matrix.org is a bit confusing
Conclusion
Well, I hope my article helped you in attaining clarity on which software you should use to build the best self-hosted chat platform for your business. This list is based on performance in recent months and the lineup may differ in the future. I’d love to take the privilege of updating the changes if any.
Moreover, If you like to know specific details about the providers I’ve listed above, go ahead and post your queries in the comments. I’d be glad to answer them for you. Until then, I wish you a happy development and take the leave now. Good luck!
