RetroShare
Secured and decentralized communication system. Offers decentralized chat, forums, messaging, file transfer.
- Team Chat
- C++
- GPL-2.0
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 2,020
- Forks
- 324
- Open issues
- 264
- Commits, last 12 months
- 612
- Last commit
- Sep 15, 2026
- Latest release
- v0.6.7.2Nov 30, 2023
- Created
- Jul 31, 2015
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About RetroShare
Secured and decentralized communication system. Offers decentralized chat, forums, messaging, file transfer. RetroShare is open source under the GPL-2.0 license and written mainly in C++, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 2,020 stars and 324 forks on GitHub, with 612 commits over the last year. It installs natively rather than through an official Docker image, so plan for a short manual setup.
Repository preview
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What is RetroShare?
RetroShare is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Team Chat category. Secured and decentralized communication system. Offers decentralized chat, forums, messaging, file transfer. The source code lives at github.com/RetroShare/RetroShare, where it has 2,020 stars.
Is RetroShare free and open source?
Yes. RetroShare is open-source software released under the GPL-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run RetroShare with Docker?
RetroShare does not list an official Docker image. It installs natively (C++), so follow the install steps in its README or look for a community-maintained container.
What are the best alternatives to RetroShare?
Popular open-source alternatives to RetroShare include Rocket.Chat, Novu and Mattermost.
Is RetroShare actively maintained?
The most recent commit to RetroShare was on Sep 15, 2026 with 612 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is v0.6.7.2, published Nov 30, 2023. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.