How to Self-host Armada: Open Source Discord Alternative

Armada Stack runs your own Armada from a single binary. One command installs it.

What Armada Stack includes

• The Armada web client, served on your domain
• A Nostr relay that only accepts Armada traffic
• A Blossom server that only accepts encrypted uploads
• LiveKit for voice and video calls
• A Web Push notification gateway
• Automatic HTTPS certificates
• A Tor .onion address for the whole stack

How to install Armada Stack

1. Get a fresh VPS running Debian, Ubuntu, or Fedora.
2. Point your domain's DNS at it.
3. Run the install script and enter your domain:

curl -fsSL https://armada.buzz/install.sh | sudo sh

Open https://your-domain. That's it.

Configure Armada Stack

Settings live in /etc/armada/armada.toml. Edit it to:

• Change relays and Blossom servers. Your own are used by default, plus public ones for redundancy. Use at least 3 of each.
• Turn off built-in HTTPS if you run your own proxy or host other domains on the same server.
• Turn off frontend auto-updates.

The Tor key is stored in /var/lib/armada.

Update Armada Stack

The installer adds a package repository, so updates come with your system:

sudo apt upgrade   # Debian, Ubuntu
sudo dnf upgrade   # Fedora

Manual install

• Install guide
• Binary releases
• Source code

Updated October 12, 2026 with new instructions for Armada Stack. Thanks to Derek Ross for the original guide.