Self-hosted team chat - decision review

Research passes of Oct 17-18 2026: 15 chat stacks (self-host + buy) scored against the requirements (non-US jurisdiction, under $20/mo, macOS + iOS apps, E2EE, agent alerting). Shortlist picks copy to your clipboard.

1. The comparison (interactive)All stacks with E2EE/agent filters, where-to-host matrix incl. the managed layers, clients and links, ruled-out list with verified facts.

2. The finalist UIs, live-capturedMattermost, Element (Matrix), SimpleX, Delta Chat - screenshots from each official site.

Internal working doc. Prices point-in-time Oct 17 2026; UV = unverified this pass.