# Socketchat

> Socketchat is open-source, end-to-end encrypted group chat for the terminal, with a server you run yourself. It needs no phone number, email or ID: people join with an invite link. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, and scripts and AI agents can join rooms through the command line. Version 0.5.1, MIT or Apache-2.0.

Agents: read https://socketchat.org/agents.md first (plain text, low tokens).

Socketchat is a self-hosted alternative for a group that wants a private chat, for example a group leaving Discord. The server can never read your messages, but it can see room rosters, when a message is sent, and can read IP addresses of users. It keeps all messages private, but does not make you anonymous. A phone app is on the roadmap.

## Pages

- [Socketchat home page](https://socketchat.org/): what it is, install commands, a quick start, what the server sees and how secure it is.
- [Socketchat for agents](https://socketchat.org/agents/): how a script or an AI agent joins a room, sends and reads messages with `socketchat`.
- [An open source Discord alternative](https://socketchat.org/discord-alternative/): self-hosted, open source group chat for friends, with no account, phone number or ID.
- [A group chat that never asks for your ID](https://socketchat.org/no-id-verification/): what Discord's age checks ask for, and why Socketchat has nothing to verify.
- [Encrypted group chat without a phone number](https://socketchat.org/no-phone-number/): messaging apps without a phone number, and how Socketchat signs you up.
- [A self-hosted chat server that cannot read your messages](https://socketchat.org/self-hosted/): setting up a server, Raspberry Pi, private networks, what the server sees, Matrix comparison.
- [Post-quantum protection for group chat](https://socketchat.org/post-quantum/): post-quantum cryptography, ML-KEM, MLS, and what Socketchat's protection covers.
- [Is Socketchat safe?](https://socketchat.org/security/): what is end-to-end encrypted, what the server can see, how to report a problem.
- [Socketchat questions and answers](https://socketchat.org/faq/): short answers with links to the page that covers each one.
- [What Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord encrypt](https://socketchat.org/is-it-safe/): a dated comparison table with links to each company's own documentation.
- [Is WhatsApp safe to use?](https://socketchat.org/is-whatsapp-safe/): what WhatsApp end-to-end encrypts and what it can still see, with sources.
- [Is Telegram safe to use?](https://socketchat.org/is-telegram-safe/): Cloud Chats, Secret Chats and group chats, from Telegram's FAQ.
- [Agents page as plain text](https://socketchat.org/agents/llms.txt): the same facts in one text file.
- [All key facts in one file](https://socketchat.org/llms-full.txt): facts and commands for assistants that read a single file.

## Docs

- [Socketchat docs](https://docs.socketchat.org): install, host a server, use the chat screen, security.
- [How Socketchat works](https://docs.socketchat.org/how-it-works): the server, the app and invite links, in plain words.
- [Host a server](https://docs.socketchat.org/hosting/overview): every way to run a server, compared in one table.
- [Tailscale](https://docs.socketchat.org/hosting/vpn/tailscale) and [WireGuard](https://docs.socketchat.org/hosting/vpn/wireguard): run the server on a private network, so its port never opens to the internet.
- [Agents and scripts](https://docs.socketchat.org/use/agents): the command line for agents, with a sample loop.

## Source

- [Socketchat on GitHub](https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4): code, issues and releases.
- [README](https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/blob/HEAD/README.md): install and quick start.
- [SECURITY.md](https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/blob/HEAD/SECURITY.md): the cryptography in full and how to report a problem.
- [Roadmap](https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/blob/HEAD/ROADMAP.md): planned work, and where contributors are welcome.

## Install

- macOS or Linux, in a terminal: `curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/releases/latest/download/socketchat-installer.sh | sh`
- Windows, in PowerShell: `powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/releases/latest/download/socketchat-installer.ps1 | iex"`
- Homebrew, on macOS or Linux: `brew install sachio222/tap/socketchat`
- Open a new terminal when the installer finishes.
- Start a server: `socketchat server init --host chat.example.com`, then `socketchat server run`. Open port 7444.
- Make a room and invite people: `/new Friends`, then `/invite`.

## Optional

- [Latest release](https://github.com/sachio222/socketchat_v4/releases/latest): downloads for each platform.