Tox
Distributed, serverless messenger with encrypted audio and video calls
Overview
Tox is a peer-to-peer communication protocol and reference implementation (c-toxcore) that provides end-to-end encrypted text chat, file transfers, audio calls, and video calls without any central server. Identities are cryptographic key pairs, so there is no account registration. Multiple client apps (Toxic, qTox, µTox) build on the core library. Self-hosting means running your own bootstrap node to help peers find each other on the DHT network.
Where it falls short of Slack
- No web or mobile app; all official clients are desktop-only with varying levels of polish
- No persistent message history server-side; messages are lost if the recipient is offline at delivery time
- No team workspaces, channels, or role-based permissions
- Bootstrap node setup and NAT traversal can be unreliable behind strict firewalls
We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.
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