Mattermost

Application1024MB+ RAM

Open-source Slack alternative for team communication

Download Server Compass View Documentation

chatcollaborationslack-alternative

Deploy Mattermost in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Mattermost

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Video Tutorials

Learn How to Deploy Mattermost

All tutorials

Self Host Mattermost on VPS — Free Slack Alternative (Step-by-Step Deploy)

Learn how to self-host Mattermost, an open-source Slack alternative, on your own VPS for free team communication without any subscriptions.

Watch tutorial

Terminal Deployment

Mattermost CLI Deployment

Deploy Mattermost the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.

Open a Terminal Connection

Start by opening a terminal window and connecting to your VPS via SSH.

terminal

# Connect to your VPS
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Or with a specific SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-key root@your-server-ip

First time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Create Application Directory

Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/mattermost
cd ~/apps/mattermost

Create Deployment Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following configuration:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  mattermost:
    image: mattermost/mattermost-team-edition:latest
    ports:
      - "8065:8065"
    environment:
      - MM_SQLSETTINGS_DRIVERNAME=postgres
      - MM_SQLSETTINGS_DATASOURCE=postgres://mattermost:<your-db-password>@db:5432/mattermost?sslmode=disable&connect_timeout=10
      - MM_SERVICESETTINGS_SITEURL=<your-site-url>
    volumes:
      - mattermost_data:/mattermost/data
      - mattermost_logs:/mattermost/logs
      - mattermost_config:/mattermost/config
      - mattermost_plugins:/mattermost/plugins
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=mattermost
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - POSTGRES_DB=mattermost
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  mattermost_data:
  mattermost_logs:
  mattermost_config:
  mattermost_plugins:
  postgres_data:

Deployment Settings

PORTHost port(default: 8065)

SITE_URLSite URL

DB_PASSWORDDB password

Launch Your Application

Deploy the stack and monitor the startup process.

terminal

# Spin up containers
docker compose up -d

# Verify deployment
docker compose ps

# Check logs for errors
docker compose logs -f

Enable External Access

Set up firewall rules to permit incoming connections.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8065/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8065

Skip the Terminal

Skip the command line. Deploy visually.

Server Compass makes deploying Mattermost effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.

Visual config editor
Instant deployment
Automatic HTTPS
Smooth updates
Live monitoring
Quick rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying Mattermost with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Create admin account

Create teams and channels

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Mattermost FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Mattermost

How do I deploy Mattermost with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Mattermost from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for Mattermost?

Mattermost requires a minimum of 1024MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 2048MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Mattermost data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Mattermost backup and restore procedures.

How do I update Mattermost to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Mattermost image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is Mattermost free to self-host?

Mattermost is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.