Deploy Element (Matrix) in five minutes

Element is the open-source Matrix client that gives your team a self-hosted Slack alternative — one where you own the server, own the history, and can federate with any other Matrix homeserver in the world. Here is how to go from “we need a private chat server” to a live Element homeserver on Indian infrastructure in under five minutes.

Before you start

You need:

• A custom domain (or use the temporary *.webhost24.in URL we assign automatically)
• A container plan that supports apps. The smallest entry Apps plan is enough to run Element comfortably for a small team; live pricing is on /pricing.
• Free SSL is issued automatically after provisioning.

Step 1 - Open the apps catalog

From our home page, click Apps, then pick the Element card. The install screen opens.

Step 2 - Name your homeserver

Pick a slug. That becomes your Matrix homeserver domain — for example, your-slug.webhost24.in. Your team’s Matrix IDs will look like @user:your-slug.webhost24.in. If you want to use your own domain, type it into the Custom domain field and we will walk you through the DNS setup.

Step 3 - Pick a plan

The default selection is your current hosting plan. If you have not picked one yet, the install will pause and ask you to choose. The smallest Apps plan handles a team of 10–20 users with text, voice, and video comfortably.

Step 4 - Wait for the deploy

We provision a container with Element, a PostgreSQL database, a Redis cache, and a federation worker. SSL is issued automatically. This takes three to five minutes for a fresh install. You will see the status live in your dashboard.

Step 5 - Log in to Element

Once the status flips to Live, open the Element URL. The first visitor to the homeserver is prompted to create an account — this is your admin account. We send the initial admin credentials on WhatsApp. Change the password the first time you log in.

What you get out of the box

• Free Let’s Encrypt SSL with auto-renewal
• Daily PostgreSQL + Redis snapshots, retained for 7 days
• Federated messaging with any other Matrix homeserver worldwide
• End-to-end encryption for direct messages and private rooms
• Voice and video calls (via Matrix WebRTC)
• INR pricing, billed monthly

What to do next

• Create your first room and invite your team
• Configure push notifications via a Matrix push gateway
• Set up bridges to IRC, Slack, or Discord if you need to
• Connect your custom domain so your Matrix ID looks professional

When to upgrade

The smallest Apps plan works for teams under 20 users. The next tier doubles storage and RAM, giving you headroom for larger rooms, more media uploads, and the managed cache layer.

That is the whole flow. Five minutes from signup to a federated, self-hosted team chat server, hosted in Gujarat, with free SSL and daily backups. If you get stuck, our WhatsApp is open.