Good to know
Questions, answered
Is Matterly self-hosted?
Yes. It's a self-hosted script. You install it on your own server with your own database, so the data and the customer relationships stay with you.
Can clients fill in and sign documents online?
Yes, with Smart Forms. The firm drafts a document (with AI or by hand), shares a secure link, and the client fills it in and signs on screen. Both sides get the completed PDF by email. The firm can accept it, file it on a matter, or ask for specific answers to be corrected and see every change. Try one on the live demo without logging in.
Can each firm have its own website?
Yes. Every firm gets a branded, multilingual public site with a block-based builder, live consultation availability, and an online booking flow, on a subdomain or a custom domain.
Do I need shell access to install?
No. Upload the files, point your web root at public/, and open /install. The wizard writes the config, runs migrations, links storage, and creates your admin account. For subscription renewals, reminders and client texts, add one cron job from your hosting control panel.
Which payment gateways are supported?
Stripe, Razorpay, PayPal and LigdiCash per firm for client payments, plus pay-at-office. LigdiCash lets clients pay by mobile money (Orange Money, Moov, MTN, Wave and others) or card in nine West and Central African countries, in CFA francs. Platform subscriptions renew automatically by card through Stripe, and firms can also pay each subscription invoice by mobile money through LigdiCash. The free Paystack add-on adds cards, bank transfer, USSD and mobile money in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya, for client payments and for subscription renewals.
What do I need to run it?
A web server with PHP 8.2 or newer and a MySQL 8 or MariaDB 10.6+ database. An OpenAI-compatible API key is optional and powers the AI features.
Can I sell Matterly to other firms as a SaaS?
Yes, with the Extended licence. One install runs unlimited firms, each with its own data, plan and billing, and subscriptions renew and invoice themselves.
Can I add new features without editing the code?
Yes. Since version 1.3, official add-on modules install in one click from Super Admin → Modules. Include them in your plans or grant them to single firms. The Conflict Check and Paystack add-ons are free, and developers can build their own modules with React pages using the documented module API and a downloadable example.
How do updates work?
New versions install with one click from Super Admin → License & Updates. Each update is signature-checked, only changed files are replaced, everything is backed up first and restored automatically if anything fails, and your .env, uploads and translations are kept.
How do the AI features work?
They call an OpenAI-compatible provider you configure, metered by a per-firm credit wallet. Without a key, a built-in rule-based assistant still answers common client questions.