Free Code Chat Apps: Difference between revisions

From P2P Foundation
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(added F-Droid note, added more ChatSecure details)
(break table into two; one for users, one for geeks)
Line 6: Line 6:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Name !! License !! Platforms supported !! Topology !! Protocol(s) Used !! Network Transport(s) !! Text/ Voice/ Video? !! Group chat !! End-to-End Encrypted !! Other features !! languages supported
! Name !! Platforms supported !! Text/ Voice/ Video? !! Group chat !! End-to-End Encrypted !! Other features !! languages supported
|-
|-
| [https://www.briarproject.org Briar] || [https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/blob/master/LICENSE.txt GNU GPLv3+] || mobile || distributed || Tor || internet, wifi, bluetooth || text only || yes || yes || forums, blogs || ?
| [https://www.briarproject.org Briar] || mobile || text only || yes || yes || forums, blogs || ?
|-
|-
| [https://chatsecure.org/ ChatSecure] || [https://github.com/ChatSecure/ChatSecure-iOS/blob/master/LICENSE GNU GPLv3+] || iOS || federated || XMPP || internet || text || yes || optional || voice mail, file transfer || ?
| [https://chatsecure.org/ ChatSecure] || iOS || text || yes || optional || voice mail, file transfer || ?
|-
|-
| [https://conversations.im/ Conversations] || [https://github.com/siacs/Conversations/blob/master/LICENSE GNU GPLv3] || mobile || federated || XMPP, MUC, OMEMO, PGP || internet || text, (voice/ video?) || yes || optional || file transfer, short voice mails || ?
| [https://conversations.im/ Conversations] || mobile || text, (voice/ video?) || yes || optional || file transfer, short voice mails || ?
|-
|-
| [https://jami.net Jami] || [https://git.jami.net/savoirfairelinux/ring-project/blob/master/COPYING GNU GPLv3+] || desktop and mobile || distributed || SIP || internet || text, audio, video || yes || yes || none || ?
| [https://jami.net Jami] || desktop and mobile || text, audio, video || yes || yes || none || ?
|-
|-
| [https://riot.im/ Riot ] || [https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/blob/master/LICENSE Apache 2.0] || web, mobile, desktop || federated || Matrix || internet || text, audio, video || yes || optional ([https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/6779 for now]) || file transfer || ?
| [https://riot.im/ Riot ] || web, mobile, desktop || text, audio, video || yes || optional ([https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/6779 for now]) || file transfer || ?
|-
|-
| [https://github.com/zoff99/ToxAndroidRefImpl TRIfa] || [https://github.com/zoff99/ToxAndroidRefImpl/blob/zoff99/dev003/LICENSE GNU GPLv2] || Android || distributed || Tox, Tor (with Orbot) || internet || text, audio, video || ? || yes || none || image sharing, file transfer, video embeds || ?
| [https://github.com/zoff99/ToxAndroidRefImpl TRIfa] || Android || text, audio, video || ? || yes || none || image sharing, file transfer, video embeds || ?
|-
|-
| [https://www.wire.com/ Wire] || [https://github.com/wireapp/wire-webapp/blob/dev/LICENSE GNU GPLv3 (clients)] / [https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server/blob/develop/LICENSE AGPLv3 (server)] || web, mobile, desktop || centralized ([https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server/issues/631 federation is planned]) || ? || internet || text, audio, video || yes ||  yes || ?
| [https://www.wire.com/ Wire] || web, mobile, desktop || text, audio, video || yes ||  yes || ?
|-
|-
| [https://zom.im/ Zom] || ? || mobile || federated || Matrix || text || yes || yes || file transfer || ?
| [https://zom.im/ Zom] || mobile || text || yes || yes || file transfer || ?
|}
|}


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! License !! Topology !! Protocol(s) Used !! Network Transport(s)
|-
| [https://www.briarproject.org Briar] || [https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/blob/master/LICENSE.txt GNU GPLv3+] || distributed || Tor || internet, wifi, bluetooth
|-
| [https://chatsecure.org/ ChatSecure] || [https://github.com/ChatSecure/ChatSecure-iOS/blob/master/LICENSE GNU GPLv3+] || federated || XMPP || internet
|-
| [https://conversations.im/ Conversations] || [https://github.com/siacs/Conversations/blob/master/LICENSE GNU GPLv3] || federated || XMPP, MUC, OMEMO, PGP || internet
|-
| [https://jami.net Jami] || [https://git.jami.net/savoirfairelinux/ring-project/blob/master/COPYING GNU GPLv3+] || distributed || SIP || internet
|-
| [https://riot.im/ Riot ] || [https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/blob/master/LICENSE Apache 2.0] || federated || Matrix || internet
|-
| [https://github.com/zoff99/ToxAndroidRefImpl TRIfa] || [https://github.com/zoff99/ToxAndroidRefImpl/blob/zoff99/dev003/LICENSE GNU GPLv2] || distributed || Tox, Tor (with Orbot) || internet
|-
| [https://www.wire.com/ Wire] || [https://github.com/wireapp/wire-webapp/blob/dev/LICENSE GNU GPLv3 (clients)] / [https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server/blob/develop/LICENSE AGPLv3 (server)] || centralized ([https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server/issues/631 federation is planned]) || ? || internet
|-
| [https://zom.im/ Zom] || ? || federated || Matrix || internet
|}


Other notes:
Other notes:

Revision as of 20:24, 20 May 2019

Introduction

Most people are familiar with proprietary chat apps like Skype, FaceTime, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, Hangouts, WeChat, and so on. Chat apps differ from email in that they are designed mainly for use by two people who are online at the same time, having a back-and-forth conversation made up of short messages (1 or 2 sentences at a time). Most modern chat apps also support voice and video calling and voice mail. This page has information about chat apps whose code is available as a commons, under a free software license, allowing it to be audited by the community, or modified ("forked") to make new versions or new apps. --Strypey (talk) 16:34, 20 May 2019 (UTC)

Name Platforms supported Text/ Voice/ Video? Group chat End-to-End Encrypted Other features languages supported
Briar mobile text only yes yes forums, blogs ?
ChatSecure iOS text yes optional voice mail, file transfer ?
Conversations mobile text, (voice/ video?) yes optional file transfer, short voice mails ?
Jami desktop and mobile text, audio, video yes yes none ?
Riot web, mobile, desktop text, audio, video yes optional (for now) file transfer ?
TRIfa Android text, audio, video ? yes none image sharing, file transfer, video embeds ?
Wire web, mobile, desktop text, audio, video yes yes ?
Zom mobile text yes yes file transfer ?
Name License Topology Protocol(s) Used Network Transport(s)
Briar GNU GPLv3+ distributed Tor internet, wifi, bluetooth
ChatSecure GNU GPLv3+ federated XMPP internet
Conversations GNU GPLv3 federated XMPP, MUC, OMEMO, PGP internet
Jami GNU GPLv3+ distributed SIP internet
Riot Apache 2.0 federated Matrix internet
TRIfa GNU GPLv2 distributed Tox, Tor (with Orbot) internet
Wire GNU GPLv3 (clients) / AGPLv3 (server) centralized (federation is planned) ? internet
Zom ? federated Matrix internet

Other notes:

Briar adding contacts requires in-person scanning of QR codes
Zom began as updated version of the old ChatSecure for Android code, using XMPP, but later moved to the Matrix protocol. The blog piece at that link describes a plan to begin a new ChatSecure for Android, as a fork of Conversations, making it also an XMPP client, but this effort was abandoned

See also:

  • F-Droid: Aims to offer a complete collection of Android apps that can be built from free code with no proprietary dependencies. Other chat clients they list: https://search.f-droid.org/?q=chat