Ditch Discord. Run your own voice server.

pick your weapon

Three servers. Zero middlemen.

Every option on this page runs on a VPS you rent and control. No lock in, no subscription, no company reading your channels. Pick the shape that fits your group.

[ 01 ] lightweight voice

Mumble

Open source, lowest latency, positional audio, ~20 MB RAM at idle. The pick for serious gaming and ops comms where you want the lightest thing that just works.

Mumble setup guide →

[ 02 ] classic community server

TeamSpeak 3

The server browser era vibe. Channels, permissions, file transfer, query interface. Lighter than Mumble in some ways and used by clans for nearly two decades.

TeamSpeak 3 setup →

[ 03 ] discord shaped, self hosted

TeamSpeak 6

The new client. Channels and categories, text chat, friends list, voice. Discord's layout, except it lives on your server. Heavier than Mumble, full community platform.

TeamSpeak 6 setup →

tl;dr

Why Discord loses

Discord is convenient. It is also a closed, for-profit platform that scans your channels, ships a locked down client, and can nuke your community overnight. Self hosting flips all of that.

01

They read your channels

Closed US backend, no end-to-end encryption, ML training on your content. Your "private" server is private only in the UI.

02

Your account is not yours

One ban or hack takes every server, DM, and contact with it. There is no key you control and no appeal process that matters.

03

It's a browser wearing an app

Chromium with extra steps. Hundreds of MB of RAM to render a chat window. Mumble's native client idles around 30 MB.

04

Voice routes through their edge

Discord picks the region for you. A self hosted box sits next to your players and stays there. Deterministic, measurable, sub-30 ms.

05

You don't own the community

Your server is a row in their database. Self host and you own the box, the backups, the limits, and the portability.

06

"Free" is a business model

Your data and attention are the product. A $4-$6 VPS runs all three servers for less than one Nitro sub - and it's just a Linux box you can use for anything.

~30 MB

Mumble client idle

~400 MB

Discord client idle

~20 MB

Mumble server idle

$4-6

vs $10 Nitro / month

side by side

How they actually compare

No marketing fluff. The real differences that change which one you pick.

Feature	Discord	Mumble	TeamSpeak 3	TeamSpeak 6
Self hosted	no	yes	yes	yes
Own your data	no	yes	yes	yes
Voice latency	med	very low	very low	low
Text chat	yes	basic	basic	yes
Categories / channels	yes	tree	tree	yes
Friends / presence	yes	no	manual	yes
Server RAM at idle	>300 MB	~20 MB	~40 MB	~120 MB
Open source server	no	yes	no	no
Open source clients	no	yes	yes	yes
Account bans affect you	yes	no	no	no
Fits on a $5 VPS	n/a	yes	yes	tight

do it in ten minutes

Setup guides

Each guide runs on any Debian or Ubuntu VPS with SSH access. Copy the commands, paste, done. Need a box first? Pick a VPS host.

Mumble - open source voice, ~20 MB RAM

Mumble is open source voice chat built for low latency and minimal overhead. The server is called Murmur, it speaks Opus, and it idles around 20 MB of RAM. The lightest, fastest thing that just works.

● walk-through youtube

Install the server

On Debian and Ubuntu the package is mumble-server. Some older docs call it murmur - same software, newer packaging.

install

root@voice-host:~$ apt update
root@voice-host:~$ apt install -y mumble-server
# pulls in the binary, config, and a systemd unit named mumble-server

Configure Murmur

Edit /etc/mumble-server.ini and set the values that matter. The defaults work, but you want a few changed:

/etc/mumble-server.ini

# name shown at the top of the channel tree
registerName=My Crew

# welcome message shown on connect
welcometext="<br /><b>welcome to my mumble</b><br />mind your mic."

# voice (UDP) and control (TCP) port. default is 64738.
port=64738

# max users. 100 is plenty for a clan.
users=100

# bandwidth per user in bits/sec. 72000 is high quality opus.
bandwidth=72000

apply config

root@voice-host:~$ systemctl restart mumble-server
root@voice-host:~$ systemctl status mumble-server
Active: active (running)

Set the SuperUser password

Murmur's built-in admin account is called SuperUser. It manages channels and permissions from a client. Set its password once, before anything else:
set superuser password
```
root@voice-host:~$ mumble-server -supw 'pick-a-long-random-password'
SuperUser password set
```
Firewall and DNS

Murmur listens on port 64738 for UDP (voice) and TCP (control). Open both:
ufw rules
```
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 64738/udp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 64738/tcp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw reload
```
Add an A record for voice.yourdomain.com pointing at the VPS IP. Verify it's listening:
verify
```
root@voice-host:~$ ss -lunp | grep 64738
udp  UNRECV 0  0  0.0.0.0:64738  users:(("mumble-server",pid=...))
root@voice-host:~$ ss -ltnp | grep 64738
tcp  LISTEN 0  0  0.0.0.0:64738  users:(("mumble-server",pid=...))
```
cloudflare proxy gotcha
If your domain is behind the Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud), do not proxy the voice record - it only forwards HTTP/HTTPS, not UDP. Set it to DNS only (grey cloud), or just have clients connect to the raw VPS IP. This applies to every guide here.
Connect with a client

Grab the official client from mumble.info, or Mumla (Android) / MumbleAF (iOS). Run the audio wizard and certificate wizard once, then Server → Connect - address voice.yourdomain.com, port 64738. Right-click the server name and Register to keep your identity. A self-signed cert warning on first connect is expected; accept it for your own server.
Channels and permissions

Log in as SuperUser from the client. Right-click the root channel to Add channels and Edit passwords and limits. The Groups and ACL tabs set who can do what - build a small admin group once and you rarely log in as SuperUser again. Mumble has no Discord-style roles; think groups of registered users plus per-channel ACLs.
Optional: TLS & where to go next

Remove the self-signed warning with a Let's Encrypt cert: certbot certonly --standalone -d voice.yourdomain.com, then point sslCert= and sslKey= at the cert paths in the ini. Worth doing after it's live: back up /var/lib/mumble-server/mumble-server.sqlite (channels, users, ACLs), tune bandwidth down to 40000 for bad connections, and enable positional audio in the client for supported games.

TeamSpeak 3 - the classic community server

A single binary, no package manager, no container. Channels, permissions, file transfer, and a query interface. Lightweight enough for the cheapest box, battle tested for nearly two decades.

● walk-through youtube

Download and run

Create a dedicated user, then grab the 64-bit Linux server binary. Confirm the current version on the TeamSpeak downloads page.

setup

# create a dedicated user with no shell login
root@voice-host:~$ useradd -m -s /bin/bash teamspeak

# become that user and download the server
root@voice-host:~$ su - teamspeak
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ wget https://files.teamspeak-services.com/releases/server/3.13.7/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.7.tar.bz2
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ tar xjf teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.13.7.tar.bz2
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ cd teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64

# accept the license and create a config file
teamspeak@voice-host:~/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64$ touch .ts3server_license_accepted
teamspeak@voice-host:~/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64$ echo "license_accepted=1" > ts3server.ini

# first run. note the serveradmin password and the privileged key.
teamspeak@voice-host:~/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64$ ./ts3server_minimal_runscript.sh inifile=ts3server.ini
------------------------------------------------------------------
I M P O R T A N T
------------------------------------------------------------------
Server Query Admin Account created
  loginname= "serveradmin", password= "AaBbCc..."
ServerAdmin privilege key created, please use it to gain
serveradmin rights for your virtualserver.
  token=      r4nD0mPr1v1l3g3k3y...
------------------------------------------------------------------

save both strings

The serveradmin password and the privilege token are printed only once. The token promotes your client to owner; the password is for ServerQuery. Copy them somewhere safe right now.

Firewall ports

Port Proto Use

9987 UDP Voice

30033 TCP File transfer

10011 TCP ServerQuery (admin)
ufw
```
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 9987/udp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 30033/tcp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 10011/tcp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw reload
```
don't expose 10011
ServerQuery is powerful. If you script against it, restrict 10011 to localhost or a small allowlist. Never leave it open to the world on a community box.
Claim admin & connect

Install the client from teamspeak.com. Connections → Connect: address voice.yourdomain.com, port 9987, any nickname. Paste the privilege key when prompted - your client is now ServerAdmin. Right-click to create channels, set passwords and codecs, and use Permissions → Server Groups to build admin/mod groups that replace Discord roles.

Run as a service

The runscript is for testing. Run it under systemd so it survives reboots:

/etc/systemd/system/ts3server.service

[Unit]
Description=TeamSpeak 3 Server
After=network.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64
User=teamspeak
Group=teamspeak
Type=forking
ExecStart=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_startscript.sh start inifile=ts3server.ini
ExecStop=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_startscript.sh stop
PIDFile=/home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64/ts3server_server.pid
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

enable

root@voice-host:~$ systemctl daemon-reload
root@voice-host:~$ systemctl enable --now ts3server
root@voice-host:~$ systemctl status ts3server
Active: active (running)

Optional: TLS

Point certificate= and certificate_key= at a Let's Encrypt cert in ts3server.ini (same certbot flow as Mumble) and clients stop seeing the warning. Make sure the teamspeak user can read the files, and add a renew hook that restarts the service.

TeamSpeak 6 - the Discord layout, self hosted

The refreshed client: text channels, categories, friends list, presence, and voice in a sidebar that will look familiar. Heavier than Mumble and a touch heavier than TS3, but a full community platform on your hardware.

● walk-through youtube

Install the server

Reuse the teamspeak user from the TS3 section, then grab the latest Linux server from the GitHub releases page. The archive is a .tar.xz that extracts in place - there is no wrapper folder and no runscript in the current build. TS6 is under active development, so names can shift between builds.

setup

root@voice-host:~$ su - teamspeak
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ wget <copy the linux-amd64.tar.xz URL from the GitHub releases page>
# paste the archive URL from github.com/teamspeak/teamspeak6-server/releases into wget.
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ tar -xf teamspeak6-server-linux-amd64.tar.xz

# accept the license. tsserver runs from the directory you extracted into.
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ touch .tsserver_license_accepted

# first run. save the serveradmin password and apikey - printed only once.
teamspeak@voice-host:~$ ./tsserver
------------------------------------------------------------------
                      I M P O R T A N T
------------------------------------------------------------------
               Server Query Admin Account created
         loginname= "serveradmin", password= "AaBbCc..."
         apikey= "r4nD0mAp1k3y..."
------------------------------------------------------------------

Firewall ports

Same family as TS3, plus HTTPS for the account web and TSDNS:

Port	Proto	Use
9987	`UDP`	Voice
30033	`TCP`	File transfer
10011	`TCP`	ServerQuery
443 / 80	`TCP`	TSDNS / account web (optional)

ufw

root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 9987/udp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 30033/tcp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw allow 10011/tcp
root@voice-host:~$ ufw reload

Same caveats as TS3: keep 10011 restricted and grey-cloud the voice subdomain (UDP does not go through the Cloudflare proxy).

Connect and claim

The TS6 client uses a global TeamSpeak account for friends and presence - separate from your server admin credentials. First launch walks you through creating it. Then Connections → Connect, and use the serveradmin password or the apikey from first run to manage the server, then build categories with voice and text channels inside. Find people by account handle to add friends and see cross-server presence.

Run as a service

There are no runscripts in the current build - the tsserver binary is the whole server and it runs in the foreground. systemd keeps it alive:

/etc/systemd/system/ts6server.service

[Unit]
Description=TeamSpeak 6 Server
After=network.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/teamspeak
User=teamspeak
Group=teamspeak
Type=simple
ExecStart=/home/teamspeak/tsserver
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

enable

root@voice-host:~$ systemctl daemon-reload
root@voice-host:~$ systemctl enable --now ts6server
root@voice-host:~$ systemctl status ts6server
Active: active (running)

TS6 vs TS3 - which one

	TeamSpeak 3	TeamSpeak 6
Layout	Channel tree, chat tabs	Categories + sidebar, Discord shaped
Text chat	Per channel, basic	Full text channels inside categories
Friends / presence	Manual, per server	Global friends list, cross server presence
Server RAM at idle	~40 MB	~120 MB
VPS sweet spot	1 GB cheap box	2 GB box
Best for	Pure voice, classic vibe	Community hangout, text + voice + friends

both at once

Murmur, TS3, and TS6 all fit on a single 2 GB box. One IP, three ports, three communities if you want. Lots of people run both: Mumble for rostered ops, TS6 for the casual hangout.

where to run it

Two VPS hosts worth your money

You don't need anything fancy. A 1 GB Linux box runs Mumble or TeamSpeak 3 with room to spare. These two are the picks I use.

Contabo

Best price per GB on the market. Loads of RAM for big communities and multiple servers on one box.

vCPU4

RAM8 GB

Storage100 GB SSD

From$5.50/mo

Runs every server in these guides simultaneously
EU, US, Asia, and Singapore regions
Cheapest price for the specs you get

+ best for

One box, every server, spare headroom
Big clan voice with file transfer on
Tight monthly budget

− watch for

Monthly billed, not hourly
Setup fee on some short cycles
CPU is shared, bursts vary

Get Contabo →

Kamatera

Hourly billing, 13 data centers, custom configs. Great for a tiny box or a region close to your players.

vCPU1+

RAM1 GB+

StorageSSD / NVMe

From$4/mo

Per-second billing, perfect for a LAN weekend
Configure CPU and RAM to the exact number
13 regions, 30 day free trial, no commitment

+ best for

Nailing the lowest ping in your region
Short lived or resizeable voice boxes
Trying a server out before going long

− watch for

Specs cost more per GB than Contabo
Custom configs add up fast if you over-provision
Traffic allowance lowers at higher tiers

Get Kamatera →

Right size it

Mumble and TeamSpeak 3 idle around 20-40 MB each. TS6 sits closer to 120 MB plus chat history. A 1 GB box handles Mumble + TS3 side by side. Move to 2 GB once you add TS6 and a web server.

Set up Mumble → Set up TeamSpeak

Disclosure: the host links above are affiliate referrals. They cost you nothing and keep this site ad free and tracker free.

quick answers

Frequently asked questions

The things people ask before they self host. Short versions, the details are in the guides above.

What is Mumble?

Mumble is open source voice chat built for low latency and minimal overhead. The server software is called Murmur, it uses the Opus codec, supports positional audio in games, and idles around 20 MB of RAM. See the Mumble setup guide.

Mumble vs TeamSpeak - which should I pick?

Mumble if you want the lightest, lowest latency pure voice server. TeamSpeak 3 if you want the classic channel and permission server. TeamSpeak 6 if you want a Discord style layout with text channels, categories, and a friends list. Many groups run both: Mumble for ops, TS6 for the casual hangout. See the full comparison.

Do I need a VPS?

Yes. A Linux VPS you control is the point of self hosting - you rent the box, you own the server. Any 1 GB Debian or Ubuntu VPS runs Mumble or TeamSpeak 3 with room to spare. See the host picks.

What does self hosting cost?

Just the VPS, typically $4-$6 per month - less than a single Discord Nitro subscription. The software is free: Mumble is open source, and TeamSpeak is free for personal and small clan use. See the official TeamSpeak licensing page for the details.

Is self hosting really free?

The servers are free to run. You pay for the VPS hardware and for your time setting it up - roughly ten minutes per server with these guides. There are no per-user fees and nothing is behind a paywall like Nitro.

Can I run all three servers at once?

Yes. Murmur, TeamSpeak 3, and TeamSpeak 6 all fit on a single 2 GB box: one IP, three ports, three communities if you want. Each has its own systemd service.

Ditch Discord.Run your own voice server.

Three servers. Zero middlemen.

Mumble

TeamSpeak 3

TeamSpeak 6

Why Discord loses

They read your channels

Your account is not yours

It's a browser wearing an app

Voice routes through their edge

You don't own the community

"Free" is a business model

How they actually compare

Setup guides

Mumble - open source voice, ~20 MB RAM

Install the server

Configure Murmur

Set the SuperUser password

Firewall and DNS

Connect with a client

Channels and permissions

Optional: TLS & where to go next

TeamSpeak 3 - the classic community server

Download and run

Firewall ports

Claim admin & connect

Run as a service

Optional: TLS

TeamSpeak 6 - the Discord layout, self hosted

Install the server

Firewall ports

Connect and claim

Run as a service

TS6 vs TS3 - which one

Two VPS hosts worth your money

Contabo

+ best for

− watch for

Kamatera

+ best for

− watch for

Right size it

Frequently asked questions

Ditch Discord.
Run your own voice server.