# Control Plane API deployment

> Deployment options for the Meeting Place Control Plane API: Affinidi-hosted via the Portal or self-hosted using the open-source implementation.

The Control Plane API serves two roles in Meeting Place. For peer-to-peer messaging, it handles participant discovery: publishing connection invitations, responding to connection requests, and establishing DIDComm channels. For group chat, it acts as the sole trusted JWT issuer for Matrix homeserver authentication, issuing short-lived tokens that participants use to log in to a Matrix homeserver without handling Matrix credentials directly.

Choose the deployment option that fits your environment:

## Pages in this section
- [Affinidi Portal (Affinidi-hosted)](/products/affinidi-elements/affinidi-messaging/meeting-place/deployment-options/control-plane-affinidi-portal.md): Affinidi offers a fully managed, hosted Control Plane for participant discovery and secure connections between individuals, businesses, and agents.
- [Open source (self-hosted)](/products/affinidi-elements/affinidi-messaging/meeting-place/deployment-options/control-plane-open-sourced.md): Affinidi provides an open-source Control Plane implementation that can be self-hosted.