I don’t really have a favorite; I offer a lot of software to the public for free use. Ansible and Proxmox are really helpful for me in doing that.

Ansible Scripts: https://git.rollenspiel.monster/ansible-playbooks

Just installed via Ansible and it’s running without any issues so far. As far as I could tell visually, it’s running much faster.

I’d go with Matrix. I use it as my main messenger and I’ve actually set up my own self-hosted instance. It works perfectly for both 1:1 conversations and managing my tabletop RPG groups. Voice chat through Element Call is fantastic – honestly, it’s a solid alternative to Discord.

What I really appreciate is the control I get from self-hosting: I have complete autonomy over the server and data for both my personal messaging and community spaces. For RPG campaigns, the room structure and customizable permission system are ideal. The voice quality is reliable enough for long gaming sessions, and everything feels more private and independent compared to relying on Discord.