What’s the difference between self-managed and cloud-hosted workspaces in Rocket.Chat?
The fundamental difference lies in who manages the infrastructure and where the data resides. A self-managed workspace is hosted on your infrastructure, giving you full control, while a cloud-hosted workspace is hosted entirely by Rocket.Chat for a hassle-free experience.
Self-managed workspace | Cloud-hosted workspace |
|---|---|
You deploy and host Rocket.Chat on your own servers or preferred infrastructure. | Your workspace is deployed and hosted on Rocket.Chat’s managed cloud infrastructure using our hosting service. |
You have full control and ownership of your data. | Your data is maintained by Rocket.Chat on our secure cloud infrastructure. |
Available on all Rocket.Chat plans. | Available only on the Enterprise plan. |
Ideal for organizations with strict compliance, security, or data sovereignty requirements. | Ideal for teams that prefer zero infrastructure overhead and optimized performance. |
To get started, visit Deploy a Self-Managed Workspace and choose a deployment method that fits your setup. | To get started, go to the Rocket.Chat Cloud Hosting Service Level Agreement (SLA) |
Cloud Hosting service
How do I migrate between Premium Hosting and Dedicated Hosting?
To request a migration between hosting tiers, contact our Sales team for assistance.
Will my data be preserved when migrating between the Cloud Hosting plans?
Yes. During the migration, we perform a complete backup of your data and restore it in the new environment, ensuring no data loss.
Can I access Grafana or other infrastructure metrics for my cloud-hosted workspace?
No. Since Rocket.Chat manages and monitors the underlying infrastructure, direct access to Grafana or similar monitoring tools is restricted to our internal team to ensure optimal service and stability.
Can I have direct access to the database of my cloud-hosted workspace?
No. While you own your database, direct access is restricted as it can impact our regular maintenance and workflow processes. If you have specific data requirements, please discuss them with the Sales team while purchasing your hosting plan.
What cloud hosting plan includes custom Devops services?
Custom DevOps services are available exclusively on the Dedicated Hosting plan.
What uptime guarantee does Rocket.Chat’s hosting service provide?
Rocket.Chat guarantees a 99.9% uptime availability for customers on the Premium and Dedicated Hosting plans.
What add-ons are available on the different hosting services?
Dedicated Hosting: All available add-ons.
Premium Hosting: Rocket.Chat Voice (WebRTC) and App-related add-ons.
If I decide to discontinue my Cloud Hosting service, can I get an export of my workspace data?
Yes. You retain ownership of your data, and we can provide a complete export of your workspace contents.
To request your data export, contact Rocket.Chat Support and request a MongoDB export for your cloud-hosted workspace. The export includes all your messages, users, channels, and associated metadata.
If you plan to use this data to set up a new workspace later, you must disable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your workspace before the export process begins.
To disable 2FA:
Go to Administration > Workspace > Settings > Accounts > Two Factor Authentication
Toggle off Enable Two Factor Authentication.
Cloud-hosted workspaces
How do I update my cloud-hosted workspace?
You can initiate the update directly through the Rocket.Chat Cloud portal:
Log in to Rocket.Chat Cloud.
Navigate to Workspaces.
Click the kebab menu (three dots) next to the workspace you wish to update.
Select Update from the dropdown menu.
In the confirmation pop-up, choose the desired Rocket.Chat version (e.g., 7.8.0) from the dropdown.
Review the details and click Yes, update my workspace.
The update process typically takes 15–30 minutes. Once complete, refresh your workspace to see the updated version.
How do I set a custom domain for my cloud-hosted workspace?
To use your own domain name (e.g., chat.mycompany.com) instead of the default URL:
Log in to your Rocket.Chat Cloud account.
Navigate to Workspaces and select your workspace.
Click Edit next to your default URL to open DNS Settings.
In your DNS provider’s console, create a CNAME record pointing your custom domain to the provided Rocket.Chat URL.
Return to the DNS Settings page and enable Use custom domain.
Enter your domain and click Save.
You will see a "pending" status while DNS verification is in progress. Once successful (usually within 24 hours), you will receive a confirmation email, and your workspace will be accessible via the new custom domain.
Can I migrate my existing cloud-hosted workspace to a self-managed workspace?
Yes. Migrating your workspace involves transferring your data (including messages, channels, and uploaded files) to the new infrastructure. If you're planning to move from a cloud-hosted Rocket.Chat workspace to a self-managed workspace, refer to Migrate from Cloud-Hosted to Self-Managed Workspace.