What's installed on your Matrix server?
- Synapse 1.164 Matrix homeserver, from the official Docker image
- Element Web 1.12, the browser chat app, set to Turkish by default
- PostgreSQL 17 database
- An admin account named yonetici (Turkish for admin), with a generated password in your panel
- HTTPS through Caddy, with Element and Matrix on the same sslip.io address
- Closed sign-up and federation switched off
- Firewall with only ports 22, 80 and 443 open
What size do you need for Matrix?
Synapse's install guide only asks for at least 1 GB of free RAM if you plan to join large public rooms. Federation is off here, so you won't be joining those, though PostgreSQL does share the server. As a rule of thumb, 2 GB is a good start for a small team or family, and 4 GB as users and rooms grow. There's no official headcount, because the load depends on users, rooms and uploaded files. Files pile up on disk, and you can grow the disk from your panel.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| A few people | 2 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 40 GB NVMe | $4.01/mo | |
| Small team | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo | |
| Company | 8 GB RAM · 4 vCore · 120 GB NVMe | $13.62/mo |
Who is it for?
- Teams and small companies that want chat history on their own server
- Families and friend groups after a closed chat space
- Organisations looking for internal messaging that outsiders can't sign up to
- Sysadmins who want to try Matrix on a small install
What happens after you order?
- Set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts and Synapse and Element install themselves. Carry on when the App row in your panel says Matrix is ready.
- On the Overview tab, click Open app and log in to Element with the details from the Login and Password rows.
- Your ID looks like @yonetici:site-name. In the Element phone and desktop apps, pick your site address as the server.
- Create accounts for your team over SSH, set up your rooms and invite everyone.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- The server name is your install's sslip.io address, and it's written into every user ID. Synapse says this name can't be changed later, so IDs keep it even if you connect a domain.
- Federation is off, so you can't message people on other Matrix servers. To open it up, you'd edit homeserver.yaml and handle port 8448 yourself.
- No TURN server is installed. Synapse's documentation says reliable voice and video calls need one, so calls may fail on some networks.
- Email isn't configured, which means no password resets or email notifications. You can add your own SMTP service to homeserver.yaml. The service isn't included in the price.
- Synapse and Element are licensed under AGPL-3.0 with no usage fee. If you modify the code and offer it to others, you have to share your changes.
- The install stays on Synapse 1.164.2 and Element 1.12.33 until you change it. Updates are your responsibility: edit the tags in compose.yaml and run docker compose up -d.
Matrix questions and answers
What's the difference between Matrix, Synapse and Element?
Matrix is an open chat standard. Synapse is the server software that runs it, and Element is the app people use to send messages. Both are on the same server in this install, so opening your site address brings up Element.
How much RAM does a Matrix server need?
Synapse's guide only asks for at least 1 GB of free RAM if you'll join large public rooms. For a small private server with federation off, 2 GB is a good rule-of-thumb start, and you can scale up from your panel as you add users.
How do I add a user to my Matrix server?
Connect over SSH and run cd /opt/seturack/synapse. Then run docker compose exec synapse register_new_matrix_user -c /data/homeserver.yaml http://localhost:8008 and enter the username and password. Sign-up is closed, so this is how accounts get created.
How do I connect to my Matrix server from a phone?
Install the Element app, enter the site address from your panel as the server, and log in with the account created for you. The desktop app takes the same details.
Can my server talk to other Matrix servers?
Not in this install: it's a private server with federation off. You have root access, so you can turn it on yourself, but read Synapse's federation guide first, since your server then becomes reachable by other servers.
Can I use my own domain with my Matrix server?
You can point the site address at your domain, but the server name in user IDs stays on the sslip.io address. Synapse's documentation says that name can't be changed later.
Do voice and video calls work?
The install is ready for messaging, but it doesn't include a TURN server. Synapse's documentation asks for one for reliable calls, so calls may not connect on some networks. With root access, you can add a TURN server yourself.