Overview
Community chat that belongs to the community
Existing platforms collect your data, lock features behind subscriptions, and make decisions that benefit shareholders over users. V1stax flips that model — you run it, you own it, and the AGPL license ensures no one can quietly take it private. Built on FastAPI, React 19, and SQLite with zero external service dependencies at runtime.
Philosophy
Privacy by Default
No analytics, no telemetry, no fingerprinting. A username and password is all registration requires. Data minimization is architecture, not a setting.
No Paywalls. Ever.
Messaging, nodes, invites, history — none of it gated. The software will never introduce friction designed to push you toward a paid plan.
Indie Ownership
Built and owned by one person — not a company, not a VC. The AGPL license means anyone hosting a modified version must share their changes. You can't quietly take this private.
Calm Interface
Infrastructure software, not a platform competing for attention. No engagement nudges, no anxiety-inducing counts. The UI feels like opening a tool — not walking into a casino.
Features
Voice & Video
P2P voice channels, screen sharing, camera, DM calls with ring flow, and AI noise suppression on every call.
Messaging
Real-time text, group DMs, inline replies, link previews, reactions, markdown, attachments, threads, and message search.
Community
Custom roles with granular permissions, private spaces, friends system, audit log, and a full instance admin panel.
Identity
Avatars, banners, custom emoji packs, username colors, node accent themes, presence modes, and profile cards.
Deploy Anywhere
docker compose up and you're running. PWA, native desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Federation
Cross-instance DMs, node joining, and federated discovery — all signed with Ed25519. Opt-in per instance.
What's Next
One-Click Deploy Guides
Step-by-step guides for Fly.io, Railway, and bare VPS — so anyone can run a full instance in minutes, not just developers with Docker experience.
Webhooks & Bots
Incoming and outgoing webhook support, plus bot account support for community automation without third-party platforms.
End-to-End Encryption
E2EE for DMs first, group and node encryption after. Requires a separate design phase — no shortcuts on this one.