Self-hosted Slack alternative in Docker, with automatic HTTPS (Chatstead)
Chatstead is a private team chat you run entirely on your own server — no
Firebase, no third-party services. In this video we take a blank Docker host and
end up with a working chat on a real domain, with a trusted Let's Encrypt
certificate that renews itself. One compose file, one command.
Why the certificate matters: HTTPS isn't only about encryption. Browsers refuse
to give the microphone, camera, app-install and notification permissions to a
page that isn't served over HTTPS — so without it, voice messages, calls, "Add
to Home Screen" and push notifications never appear at all.
No domain yet? Watch the other version instead, which runs the same app on your
local network with a self-signed certificate: [DİĞER VİDEO LİNKİ]
Try the live demo: https://demo.chatstead.com
Get Chatstead: https://chatstead.com/pricing
Docs: https://chatstead.com/docs
Chapters:
0:00 What we're building
0:20 What you need
0:45 Point your domain at the server
1:15 Upload and unpack the package
1:45 Set your domain in .env
2:10 One command to start it
3:00 Caddy gets the certificate
3:40 Finish setup in the browser
4:30 Send the first message
5:00 Recap