Communities belong to everyone.

openDiscord is an open-source community platform. Chat on opendiscord.app, or run the exact same release on your own server. No lock-in, and basic chat is never behind a paywall.

Start a community Self-host it

$ git clone https://github.com/opendiscord/opendiscord
$ cp .env.example .env  # set DOMAIN + secrets
$ docker compose up -d
✓ postgres  migrate  web  caddy  running
→ https://chat.your-domain.org

opendiscord.app/c/study-hall/general

Study Hall

Text channels

#announcements

#general

#self-hosting

#design

#moderators

# general

M
Mara09:41
Set up our study group in an evening. Invite links did the rest.
j
jonas09:42
Same release on my own box. docker compose up and it was running 🚀
I
Ife09:44
Kick and ban reasons land in the audit log. Our mods love it.
M
Mara09:45
And exporting my data is one click. As it should be.

Message #general Ife is typing…

Text channels
Invite links
Roles
Kick & ban
Audit log
Realtime updates
Edit & delete
Two-factor auth
Passkeys
Data export
Account deletion
Backups
Text channels
Invite links
Roles
Kick & ban
Audit log
Realtime updates
Edit & delete
Two-factor auth
Passkeys
Data export
Account deletion
Backups

Open source · Real people · Better communities

Everything a community needs. Nothing it has to rent.

Real-time, written down first

Every message lands in PostgreSQL before anyone sees it. After a dropped connection, the client catches up from the database.

Invite-only by default

Outsiders can't read, subscribe to or even discover a community. That rule is enforced on the server and covered by tests.

Moderation built in

Roles with a clear hierarchy, kick and ban with reasons, an audit log and rate limits from day one.

Your data, your call

Export everything you've written or delete your account in a click. No dark patterns, no ad tracking.

Honest about encryption

Direct messages are end-to-end encrypted between verified devices. Community text and voice are not. The integration has not had an independent security audit.

Self-host

One compose file. Your server. Your rules.

The official instance and your instance run the same image. Point a domain at a small VPS, set two secrets and you have a community server with backups you control.

No dependency on us
A self-hosted instance never calls home: no shared login, no payment account, no Cloudflare required.
Same core everywhere
opendiscord.app runs the public release. Hosting is a convenience, not a feature gate.
Money can't buy mod powers
Sponsorship funds development and servers. It never grants rights inside a community.

docker-compose.yml

postgresSource of truth for every message
migrateApplies schema changes, then exits
webNext.js app, API and auth
caddyAutomatic HTTPS for your domain

$ docker compose up -d

Built in the open

Small first release. Public roadmap.

Now
Closed alpha
- Private channels, roles, moderation
- Mentions, threads, search, reactions
- Voice, video and screen sharing
- Bots, webhooks, public API
- Encrypted DMs with device verification
- Appeals, rules and retention controls
Next
Closer together
- Voice encryption and TURN
- Independent security review
- Physical-device acceptance
- Self-hosting polish
Later
Voice and beyond
- Custom emoji and stickers
- Native apps
- Opt-in public channels
- Community discovery