Free Code Chat Apps: Difference between revisions
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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 or more 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|free software]] license, allowing it to be audited by the community, or modified ("forked") to make new versions or new apps. | 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 or more 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|free software]] license, allowing it to be audited by the community, or modified ("forked") to make new versions or new apps. | ||
--[[User:Strypey|Strypey]] ([[User talk:Strypey|talk]]) 16:34, 20 May 2019 (UTC) | --[[User:Strypey|Strypey]] ([[User talk:Strypey|talk]]) 16:34, 20 May 2019 (UTC) | ||
== Features: what they can do == | == Features: what they can do == | ||
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== Structure: how they work == | == Structure: how they work == | ||
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| [https://zom.im/ Zom] || [https://github.com/zom/zom-android-matrix/blob/master/LICENSE Android: Apache 2.0], iOS ? || || federated || Matrix || internet | | [https://zom.im/ Zom] || [https://github.com/zom/zom-android-matrix/blob/master/LICENSE Android: Apache 2.0], iOS ? || || federated || Matrix || internet | ||
|} | |} | ||
=== Notes on Network Topology === | |||
A "distributed" network is commonly referred to as a "P2P" (peer-to-peer) network, or sometimes a "mesh" network. "Federated", as used here, is often referred to as "decentralized", as its named on the famous network topology diagram from [https://hi-project.org/the-technology/ Paul Paran's 1964 paper 'Centralized, Decentralized and Distributed networks']. However, in political writing, the term "decentralized" has commonly been used to refer to both networks of organizations, and networks of peers, while the term "federation" only applies to networks of organizations. To avoid confusion, the following terminology is used in the table above: | |||
* Centralized: all connections between user apps must be made through a server (or cluster of servers) controlled by one operator. | |||
* Federated: all connections between user apps must be made through servers, but users can still communicate even if they are connected to servers controlled by different operators. | |||
* Distributed: all connections are made directly between user apps, with no servers required. | |||
== Further notes on apps == | == Further notes on apps == | ||
Revision as of 13:44, 28 October 2019
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 or more 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)
Features: what they can do
| Name | Platforms supported | Text/ Voice/ Video? | Group chat | End-to-End Encrypted | Other features | languages supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briar | Android | text only | yes | yes | forums, blogs | ? |
| ChatSecure | iOS | text | yes | optional | voice mail, file transfer | ? |
| Conversations | mobile | text, (voice messages) | yes | optional | file transfer, short voice mails, message editing | ? |
| Jami | desktop and mobile | text, audio, video | voice/ video only | yes | none | ? |
| Keybase | desktop and mobile | text, (audio/video?) | yes | yes | signed file storage | ? |
| Linphone | desktop and mobile | text, audio, video | yes | in progress? | file-sharing | ? |
| Meshenger | Android | audio | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Mumble | desktop and mobile | text, audio | yes | No | ? | ? |
| qTox | desktop | text, audio, (video?) | text: yes (audio/video?) | yes | ? | ? |
| Riot | web, mobile, desktop | text, audio, video | yes (audio and video via Jitsi Meet plug-in) | optional (for now) | file transfer | ? |
| Signal | mobile, desktop | text, audio, video | yes | yes | image sharing, voice mails | ? |
| Silence | Android | text, multimedia messages | ? | yes | ? | ? |
| TRIfa | Android | text, audio, video | ? | yes | image sharing, file transfer, video embeds | ? |
| Wire | web, mobile, desktop | text, audio, video | yes | yes | message editing, image-sharing, file transfer | ? |
| Zom | mobile | text | yes | yes | file transfer | ? |
Structure: how they work
| Name | License | Free Software Directory | Topology | Protocol(s) Used | Network Transport(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briar | GNU GPLv3+ | Listed | distributed | Tor | internet, wifi, bluetooth |
| ChatSecure | GNU GPLv3+ | Mentioned | federated | XMPP | internet |
| Conversations | GNU GPLv3 | ? | federated | XMPP, MUC, OMEMO, PGP | internet |
| Jami | GNU GPLv3+ | Listed | distributed | SIP | internet |
| Keybase | Modified BSD | ? | centralized | internet | |
| Linphone | core library: GNU GPLv3, desktop, Windows 10, iOS clients: GPLv2, Android client: GNU GPLv3, flexisip server: GNU AGPL | Listed | centralized | SIP, LIME | internet |
| Meshenger | GNU GPLv3 | ? | distributed | IOTA | local network, community network (internet?) |
| Mumble | Modified BSD | Listed | centralized | Own protocol, UDP | internet |
| qTox | GNU GPLv3 | Mentioned | distributed | Tox | internet |
| Signal | clients: GNU GPLv3, server: GNU AGPLv3 | Listed | centralized | Signal | internet |
| Silence | GPLv3 | ? | federated | SMS, MMS | GSM |
| Riot | Apache 2.0 | Under review | federated | Matrix | internet |
| TRIfa | GNU GPLv2 | ? | distributed | Tox, Tor (with Orbot) | internet |
| Wire | GNU GPLv3 (clients) / AGPLv3 (server) | Listed | centralized (federation is planned) | Proteus (own protocol) for text, DTLS and SRTP for voice | internet |
| Zom | Android: Apache 2.0, iOS ? | federated | Matrix | internet |
Notes on Network Topology
A "distributed" network is commonly referred to as a "P2P" (peer-to-peer) network, or sometimes a "mesh" network. "Federated", as used here, is often referred to as "decentralized", as its named on the famous network topology diagram from Paul Paran's 1964 paper 'Centralized, Decentralized and Distributed networks'. However, in political writing, the term "decentralized" has commonly been used to refer to both networks of organizations, and networks of peers, while the term "federation" only applies to networks of organizations. To avoid confusion, the following terminology is used in the table above:
- Centralized: all connections between user apps must be made through a server (or cluster of servers) controlled by one operator.
- Federated: all connections between user apps must be made through servers, but users can still communicate even if they are connected to servers controlled by different operators.
- Distributed: all connections are made directly between user apps, with no servers required.
Further notes on apps
| Briar | adding contacts requires in-person scanning of QR codes |
| Silence | a fork of TextSecure - the app that later became the Android client for Signal - keeping only the support for SMS text messages and MMS multimedia messages. |
| 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
- Free code chat software - an overview of audio and video chat software
- Free Software Directory - Chat Category
- PrivacyTools.io chat app guide
- 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
- Wikipedia - comparison table of chat apps