Top On-Premise Chat Solutions For Secure Team Communication

Well, we cannot deny the fact that this is the era of technological innovations, and business chat apps are on the rise, revolutionizing the corporate sector by helping teams connect and collaborate effectively. While the instant messaging apps are in great demand, data breaches from them are also increasing greatly.

As a result, many businesses are trying to host their apps and data on their own server so that they can take complete control of security and implement necessary measures. That's where the on-premises chat system or self-hosted messaging solution comes into play.

So, what is it, and why should a business host its data and apps on its own server and on the globe's best on-premise chat platforms? We will answer these in the section below. 

What Is An On-premise Chat Solution?

An on-premise chat solution is simply a messaging app that is hosted on the business's own servers and managed by their team of tech experts, instead of hosting on a third-party provider's cloud. By doing this, enterprises can avail full control of their communication data, security, and customizations.

What Key Features To See In On-Prem Chat Platform?

Below are some of the key features that teams or businesses can experience by hosting apps on their servers.

End-to-end encryption - This feature makes sure that all the communications happening within the app is securely encrypted so that messages are not intruded by any third-person.

LDAP/SSO integration - Allows for easy employee sign-ins and user authentication along with helping businesses to manage employee access.

Customizable roles & permissions - Lets business admins to assign access to employees so that only they get access to the information they require.

Audit logs & compliance tools - Allows admins to track user activity and events so that the harmony of the app is not disturbed, and provides them with compliance tools to have check of security policies.

Mobile and desktop support - Make sure that your chat system is compatible across multiple devices so that your users can connect from their preferred platform, no matter where they are.

API & integration options - Allows apps to connect with third-party applications to promote workflow and communication.

Top On-Premise Chat Solutions For 2025

Below, we will explore some of the top self-hosted chat solutions of 2025 like Rocket.chat, MirrorFly, Mattermost, and Zulip along with their features, pros and cons, and where they are used greatly. 

1. Rocket.Chat

Rocket.chat is one of the best open-source communication solutions that offers rich features like file sharing, media sharing, single and group chats, public channels, and more. Along with this, they offer self-hosted chat solutions to let businesses host apps on their servers. 

Security features - Private and public rooms, direct messaging, end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, compliance and regulatory standards.

Pros

1. Customizable and supports integration with third-party tools

2. Plenty of rich features

Cons

1. No developer support thus making it difficult for non-tech users

Use Case - Mostly suitable for enterprise chats.

2. MirrorFly

MirrorFly is the industry-best SDK provider of in-app chats and calls that helps developers to quickly add 1000+ features into their communication apps and boost user engagement seamlessly. While their features stand as the 'moment of reckoning', their other exquisites like self-hosted solutions, 100% customization capability, full control, and sturdy security are the talks of the town. 

And with MirrorFly, you can deploy your apps on your servers and take complete control over data and security without a worry. 

Security features - E2E encryption, GDPR and HIPAA compliance, chat moderation, AES-256, and other prominent features.

Pros

1. Highly customizable and scalable

2. Let business take complete control of their SDKs.

3. Rich and abundant real-time chat and call features like topic-based chats, group chats, video conferencing.

Cons

1. Features are too extensive that makes it difficult to understand for newbies.

Use Case - Healthcare, enterprise, logistics, dating, e-commerce, e-learning, gaming, and more.

3. Mattermost

Mattermost comes to businesses as the most versatile messaging platform for all kinds and sizes. And being a self-hosted chat solution provider, they allow enterprises to deploy apps either on private cloud or on their own servers. Also, their scalability and security features are amazing.

Security features - Strong encryption mechanisms, access controls, security auditing.

Pros

1. Highly flexible and scalable thus supporting a growing user base.

2. Most developer-friendly platform.

Cons

1. It needs technical expertise for setup and some features are in paid plans.

Use Case - Suitable for industries like defense, technology, financial services, manufacturing, and utilities.

4. Zulip

Zulip is a popular on-premise chat software that is predominantly used for promoting communication for distributed teams by using a topic-based threading model. Along with this, they support integration with GitHub thus making it easy to get request IDs and support LDAP integration.
Security features - E2E encryption mechanism, access control, LDAP, SSP, and other compliance tools.

Pros

1. Have threading model for communication 

2. Highly customizable

Cons

1. Features are less intuitive

Use Case - Suitable for team communication.

5. Element

Element is one of the best on-premise chat software that is built on Matrix, and it is known to offer rich and intuitive features like instant messaging and other collaboration tools that fosters strong communications. Along with this, they also offer public rooms and users can choose how to host their apps with Element. 

Security features - Presence of private rooms for boosting user privacy and end-to-end encryption standards.
Pros

1. Security is good as they offer both private and public rooms.

2. Features are limited compared to peers

Cons

1. Setting up Element can be difficult because of their decentralized nature.

Use Case - Mostly suitable for enterprise chat, telehealth, government agencies, and communities.

Why Should You Choose An On-Premise Chat Solution Over Cloud-based Chat Apps?

To be honest, there are plenty of reasons as to why you should self-host chat apps on your servers. Of them the primary one is alleviating security-related concerns. Other benefits include:

1. Data control - This is one of the major reasons why businesses shift from cloud hosting to on-premise, which is taking complete control of their data so that they can hire developers for looking out the network security aspects and writing algorithms to safeguard from prying eyes. 

2. Local compliance regulations - This attribute will rule out in cases where your business must comply with the local data privacy and security regulations and standards. And based on which, you can host your private team chat software on your servers. Plus, by doing so, you can have full control over whether the communication data meets up the regulatory requirement. 

3. Custom deployments - Every business is unique and has their set of requirements to meet customer needs. So, by opting for self-hosted chat software, you can customize the application based on your need and deploy it on your servers. Just not this, there are plenty of third-party providers in the market that help you deploy on the cloud or on your servers or on their servers. 

Concluding Notes

We saw different self-hosted messaging platforms that promise for complete control, better user engagement, and security when you host your chat applications on your servers. But which messaging platform to choose depends solely on your business needs and priorities. And if you ask me, try MirrorFly's self-hosted chat SDKs to enjoy a range of benefits and features to build a secure chat system. Because, from easy integration to 1000+ call and chat features to limitless customization capability to offering complete control over their source codes, MirrorFly is simply the best in-app chat SDK provider in the market. 

Plus, if you have doubts or need help choosing the right on-premise messaging platform, just leave us a comment, and we will contact you as soon as possible.