Chitchatter

Chitchatter is an open-source, decentralized communication web application that provides encrypted chat, video conferencing, and file sharing. It operates on a peer-to-peer architecture, allowing users to connect directly through their browsers without the need for a central API server to manage traffic or store data. This design ensures that communication remains private and independent of central service operators.

Users access the software via a browser and join rooms, which are identified by randomly generated UUIDs. To maintain privacy, users typically share these room URLs through secure external mediums. The application is designed for ephemeral communication, meaning message content is never persisted to disk on the client or server. It can be used as a standalone web app or embedded into other applications via an iframe or a dedicated SDK web component.

Key features

• End-to-end encryption via WebRTC
• Peer-to-peer video and audio chatting
• Screen sharing and direct messaging
• Encrypted file sharing with no size limits
• Markdown support with code syntax highlighting
• Automatic peer verification using public-key cryptography
• Conversation backfilling for new participants
• Light and dark theme options

The application is built with React and Vite, utilizing Trystero for networking and streaming. It relies on public WebTorrent servers to establish initial peer connections and TURN relay servers when direct connections are unavailable. Because it lacks a backend infrastructure, it does not collect analytics, tracking, or telemetry data. This architecture makes it suitable for users who need to share sensitive information, such as passwords, or for organizing groups like unions and political movements that require high levels of privacy and security.

Chitchatter is a client-side tool focused on privacy and the elimination of central service operators. It provides a secure environment for real-time collaboration and data transfer without the risks associated with data at rest on third-party servers.