Decentralised • Self-hosted • End-to-end encrypted

Secure, self-hosted messaging built on Saltpack

salty.im is an open specification for a decentralised messaging protocol focused on privacy, security, and owning your own infrastructure.

Get Started Read the Spec
Open specification MIT licensed Saltpack E2E
salty.im
Open protocol for secure messaging
  • Saltpack end-to-end encryption
  • Decentralised discovery via your domain
  • Self-hosted broker or public bootstrap server
Open specification MIT licensed Community-run

Demo

Reference client in action. Salty IM keeps messages private from start to finish.

Salty IM demo

How it works

Three simple building blocks that keep your chats yours.

Create your Salty address

Pick a name and domain. Your identity is discoverable without central control.

Host a broker

Run `saltyd` on your infrastructure, or start with a public broker while you learn.

Chat securely

Messages are end-to-end encrypted with Saltpack across every client.

Quick start

Install the reference CLI client and start a secure chat in minutes.

$ go install go.salty.im/saltyim/cmd/salty-chat@latest
$ salty-chat register <nick>@mills.io
$ salty-chat chat prologic@mills.io

Replace <nick> with the nickname you want to use.

$ salty-chat chat echo@mills.io

Talk to the echo bot to verify your setup.

Security warning

The quick start uses the public broker at salty.mills.io. Your IP address is logged, and the infrastructure is personally operated by James Mills.

Documentation

Run your own broker and set up decentralised discovery.

Full setup guide

Step-by-step instructions for your own domain, broker, and client.

Read the full instructions

Choosing a registrar

Any reputable registrar works. You can also use a subdomain if you already manage a domain elsewhere.

Namecheap GoDaddy OnlyDomains

Prefer to start simple?

You can skip the domain setup and still use Salty IM with public brokers. Self-hosting is recommended for full decentralisation.

Specification

Read the protocol spec and build your own client or broker.

Read the full specification

Sources

The Salty IM ecosystem is open-source and community-maintained.

saltyim

Go library, reference client, broker, TUI, and PWA implementations.

Browse repository

salty.im

Landing site source and Salty IM specification.

Browse repository

salty

Cryptography tools built on Saltpack and keys.pub.

Browse repository

Community

Join the discussion and help build the decentralised future.

IRC

Join #salty.im on the Libera.Chat IRC network.

Open web chat

Privacy Policy

Applies to the reference broker and clients provided by the Salty IM developers.

Read the privacy policy