Open Platform · Real-Time · WebRTC Voice

Chat that's actually yours

HardChat is a self-hosted group-chat platform with real-time messaging, WebRTC voice, rich text formatting, and role-based effects — no third-party data, no subscriptions.

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Platform

Everything you need to communicate

Built for communities that want full control over their data without sacrificing features.

💬

Real-Time Messaging

Instant delivery via WebSocket with support for channels, direct messages, mentions, and message threads.

🎙️

WebRTC Voice Channels

Peer-to-peer encrypted voice with push-to-talk, mic locking, mute controls, and auto-join on channel switch.

📁

File Sharing

Upload images, videos, and files directly in chat. Inline previews with automatic thumbnail generation.

🔒

Role-Based Permissions

Granular permission system per channel and server. Admins can control who can read, write, speak, or moderate.

🌐

Multilingual UI

Interface available in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Chinese — with runtime language switching.

🎮

Built-In Games

Casual games like Flappy Bird are embedded directly in the platform for community fun between conversations.

🌙

Themes & Customization

Multiple built-in themes plus a fully customizable color system. Apply visual effects like CRT scanlines or neon glows.

🔔

Push Notifications

Browser push notifications for mentions and direct messages, even when the app isn't in focus.

📊

Self-Hosted

Run on your own server. No data leaves your infrastructure. SQLite-based — easy to back up, migrate, and own outright.


Text Formatting

Rich formatting out of the box

Markdown-inspired syntax that feels natural and renders beautifully in every message.

Basic Markdown

Bold, italic, strikethrough, and inline code.

U
User 2:30 PM
This is bold and italic and bold italic.
Also strikethrough and inline code.
**bold**   *italic*   ***bold italic***
~~strikethrough~~   `inline code`

Mentions & Links

@mention any user; URLs auto-link.

A
Alice 2:31 PM
Hey @Bob, check this out!
You mentioned @Alice earlier.
@username — highlights the mentioned user
URLs auto-convert to clickable links

Spoilers & Blockquotes

Hide sensitive content; quote messages with context.

C
Charlie 2:32 PM
The twist is he was dead the whole time.
This is a quoted message
spanning multiple lines.
||spoiler text||
> blockquote line

Code Blocks

Fenced code blocks with language label.

E
Eve 2:33 PM
javascript
function hello() {
  console.log("Hello, World!");
}
```javascript
// your code here
```

Headings & Lists

Structure long messages with headings and bullets.

D
Diana 2:34 PM
## Release Notes
  • Added voice channels
  • Fixed file uploads
  • New themes added
# H1   ## H2   ### H3
- item   1. ordered

Files & Images

Upload and share with automatic inline preview.

F
Frank 2:35 PM
logo
📄
report.pdf
1.8 MB
⬇
Drag-and-drop or paste images directly into the chat.

Animated username effects

Admins can assign animated effects to roles — usernames and messages glow, pulse, and shift colors in real time.

⚡
Lightning
User
💡
Neon
User
👾
Glitch
User
🌈
Rainbow
User
💫
Pulse
User
🌊
Wave
User
📳
Shake
User
👁️
Blink
🌫️
Fade
User
↔️
Slide
User
🏀
Bounce
User
🔄
Spin
User
🔥
Fire
User
❄️
Ice
User
🥇
Gold
User
🔷
Chrome
User
💻
Matrix
User
🌺
Vaporwave
User
⚡
Plasma
User
🎆
Firework
User

Ready to try HardChat?

Create an account in seconds. No credit card, no email required — just pick a username and start chatting.

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