Help
Questions & answers
Short and to the point — installation, features, security and everyday life of Altgram on your server. Didn't find your question? Write to us and we'll answer personally.
Honest answersno marketing fog
Do calls really work out of the box?14:02
Yes! WebRTC, groups up to 8 people, recording to chat 📞14:02
And all of that on our own server?14:03
Down to the last byte 🔒14:03
support@altgram.ruwe reply personally
General
What is Altgram?+
Altgram is a self-hosted messenger: chats, groups, channels, stories, video circles, calls and conferences — all in one app that runs entirely on your server. No third-party clouds, no telemetry: your server, your data, your rules.
How is Altgram different from Telegram or Slack?+
The key difference: all data lives with you, not in someone else's data center. No subscriptions or per-user pricing — but there is an open API for your own clients and integrations. A fair caveat: Altgram has no global public network — it's a messenger for your perimeter, your team or your company.
How much does it cost?+
The installation is entirely yours — no per-seat or per-user fees, ever. Your only cost is your own server: even a modest machine with Python and PostgreSQL will do.
Installation
What do I need to launch it?+
Python 3.11+ and PostgreSQL — that's it. Install the dependencies with
pip install -r requirements.txt, point it at your database and start the server: it comes up on port 8070, and the database schema is created automatically. The first administrator is created during setup too.Why do I need HTTPS?+
Browsers only allow camera and microphone access in a secure context — without HTTPS, calls, video circles and voice messages simply won't work from other devices. So launch the server with
python run.py --ssl: a self-signed certificate is generated automatically, nothing to configure by hand.Can it work behind NAT or over the internet?+
Yes. Chats and files work from any network right away. For calls through strict NAT, add a TURN server: its address goes into the
ice_servers setting right in the admin panel — no code edits, no restart.Features
How many people fit in a group call?+
Calls run on WebRTC P2P mesh — every participant connects directly to every other. The comfortable limit is around 8 people: beyond that, the load on each participant's bandwidth grows, and larger conferences call for an SFU server.
What's the file size limit?+
200 MB per file by default: photos with previews, video, audio and documents. The limit is adjustable in server settings to fit your needs.
How long do stories live?+
24 hours, just as you're used to. Authors see who viewed their story — a view counter is built in.
Is there Russian-language search?+
Yes, full-text search with Russian morphology: search for «договор» and it will also find «договора» and «договором». It works across the entire message history, powered by PostgreSQL.
Who can post in a group?+
The owner decides. A group can be private or public with a unique @link, and posting rights are flexible: every member, verified users only, hand-picked people, or admins only. Roles are owner, admin, member, restricted and banned, each with its own permissions.
Security
Where is the data stored?+
Messages and metadata live in PostgreSQL; files and media in file storage. Both stay on your server: backups, disk encryption and retention policy are entirely under your control.
How are passwords and sessions protected?+
Passwords are hashed with bcrypt; authentication uses revocable JWT tokens. Every user sees a list of their devices and can end any session, and an administrator can revoke sessions forcibly.
Is there end-to-end encryption?+
All traffic is protected with TLS, and your data never leaves your server — that already shrinks the attack surface dramatically. End-to-end (E2E) chat encryption isn't there yet — it's on the roadmap, and we say so honestly instead of painting on extra padlocks.
Mobile devices
Are there apps in the App Store and Google Play?+
No — and it's deliberate: app stores don't play well with self-hosted. The web client works great on a phone straight from the browser. And if you need native apps, there's an open REST API
/api/v1 with WebSocket events and MOBILE_API.md documentation for Android and iOS.Will I get push notifications?+
While the web client is open, notifications arrive instantly over WebSocket. Background push on a locked phone requires FCM/APNs integration — that's on the roadmap.
Administration
How do I become an administrator?+
The first administrator is created automatically during server installation. From there, they grant rights to other users right in the admin panel — which also holds a metrics dashboard plus chat, call and session management.
Can I restrict a user?+
Yes, and there's more than one tool: restrict an account with a stated reason, assign the restricted role or ban them in specific chats — and if it comes to that, revoke all active sessions and delete the account.
How do I see what administrators have done?+
The admin panel includes an audit log: every administrator action is recorded — who did what, and when. Transparency works both ways.
Didn't find your answer?
Write to us — we'll dig into your case, from installation details to company-wide rollout questions.
Still have questions? The messenger is already ready
Open the web client and see Altgram live: five minutes in the interface answer better than any FAQ.