Self-host vs Managed

Chatalot is open-core. The same software runs whether you self-host or buy a managed deployment. What changes is who operates it, how updates land, and whether you have someone on the hook for response time.

At a glance

Self-host (community)

Free, forever. The full Chatalot feature set, the full source, the same binaries. You operate the server, you handle backups, you handle updates, you handle the firewall.

• Pull container images from registry.seglamater.app/seglamater/chatalot (or build from source).
• Configure .env, run docker compose up -d.
• Updates are manual: git pull && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d.
• Support is best-effort via contact@seglamater.com. Community channels are planned as the open-core rollout matures.

This is the right choice if you have a competent operator on staff, you want zero recurring cost, and “best-effort community support” is acceptable for your operational risk profile.

Self-host technical guide

Managed business tier

For teams and small businesses that want their own private chat without becoming a part-time chat operator. Seglamater runs the deployment lifecycle.

• Per-instance signed bundle. Your instance gets its own update channel; releases are signed with cosign and verified by the client before applying.
• Automated update pipeline. Updates are surfaced in the admin UI. One click applies them with signature verification, atomic container swap, and automatic rollback on health-check failure. Or schedule them.
• Support response within 2 business days (Mon–Fri, business hours). Email-based. Real human, not a queue.
• Onboarding. Domain setup, TLS, TURN sizing, initial admin provisioning, and a working instance handed over.
• Backups. Configured and verified at handover; ongoing operation is documented in your handover packet.

This is the right choice if you want to focus on running your team, not your chat server.

Managed enterprise tier

Same software, same E2EE model, same signed update pipeline — wrapped in operational commitments that match enterprise procurement expectations.

• Support response within 12 hours, including evenings and weekends as part of an agreed schedule.
• Dedicated support channel — direct email and an optional shared chat room with the Seglamater team (run on Chatalot, naturally).
• Custom integrations. SSO (OIDC, SAML), directory sync, audit log export, custom webhook hardening per CHAT-9 — scoped per engagement.
• Documented data residency options.
• Quarterly review of usage, capacity, and roadmap fit.

For organisations that need a name on the hook and a documented escalation path.

Why pay, honestly

The software is open-source. Self-host is free. So what are you paying for?

You’re paying for the support relationship. The operational pipeline. The signed bundles. The on-call rota. The fact that when the instance goes sideways at 4 PM on a Thursday, somebody at Seglamater is looking at it instead of you. The fact that the next CVE in a dependency turns into a managed-update notification, not a Saturday rebuild.

You are not paying for features that the open-source version doesn’t have. There is no “premium build” with capabilities held back. We don’t operate that way; the open-core promise is genuinely open.

If you don’t need the support relationship, self-host. If you do, you’ll be glad you bought it.

Talk to us

Email contact@seglamater.com with subject line Chatalot — managed deployment inquiry.

Useful information to include in the first email:

• Approximate user count, and whether that’s all on one instance or split across teams.
• Whether you need SSO, and which provider.
• Hosting preference — Seglamater-managed VPS, your cloud account, or your on-prem.
• Any compliance regimes you need to meet (we’ll tell you honestly whether Chatalot is a fit).
• Rough timeline.

We’ll come back with a sized proposal, not a generic price sheet.