What it does
Tyto is a self-hosted chat platform with channels, threads, DMs, voice channels, video and screen sharing, search, reactions, moderation, and optional compliance tools. The site describes its core, client, and desktop app as free and MIT licensed.
Tyto provides community and team chat that operators can run on their own servers. The project page lists channels, threads, DMs, voice channels, video/screen sharing, search, moderation, and optional retention tools; it links a public community instance and setup documentation. The site identifies beta builds for the core, client, and desktop app, so release maturity should be considered. No installation was tested.
Strengths
- Free and MIT licensed across core, client, and desktop app, according to the project site.
- Includes text, voice, and video communication with moderation tools.
- Self-hosting keeps server data under operator control.
Watch out for
- Core, client, and desktop builds are identified as beta.
- Self-hosting requires the operator to manage updates and security.
Best for
- Communities or teams seeking free self-hosted chat
- Operators needing channels, moderation, and voice/video features
Sources
- tyto.chat — community chat you own (Oct 25, 2026)