Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Node.js console chat (ssh [email protected])

ssh [email protected] (pass: hn) I did this simple chat with Node.js. It basically consists of a server which listens on a UNIX socket and clients which can connect to it. I changed ttychat's login shell to the chat client (ttychat.js) so that anyone who SSHes into the server automatically joins the chat room. Feel free to fork on Github: https://github.com/olalonde/node-ttychat

Node.js console chat is a terminal-based chat application built with Node.js that allows users to communicate through SSH. The server listens on a UNIX socket while clients connect and automatically join a chat room… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Node.js console chat (ssh [email protected]) launched in 2011; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1CV
   Chat via the console, with now and socket.io▲14

   2017 · gloubiboulga.now.sh · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Let's Chat▲323

   Like Slack, but opensource and self-hosted.

   2015 · sdelements.github.io · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Let's Chat, a self-hosted chat app for small teams▲350

   Self-hosted chat for small teams.

   2015 · sdelements.github.io · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Turn your website console into a chat that connects website visitors▲148

   Underground developer meeting room.

   2020 · consolechat.io · its alternatives →

5. 5
   console.chat▲158

   A chat room inside your browser's console.

   2019 · console.chat · its alternatives →

6. 6SC
   ssh chat.shazow.net▲171

   Hi HN, I wrote a custom SSH server in Go, give it a try. It uses your terminal user and SSH keys to authenticate implicitly. Instead of getting a shell, you get an IRC-style chatroom with everyone else. $ ssh chat.shazow.net If you're getting "Permission denied (publickey)", please use ssh-keygen to create a keypair. Instructions here: https://help.github.com/articles/generating-ssh-keys/ SSH is a really cool protocol; it's a lot like HTTP2. This is a demo of one thing you can do with it, but I plan to factor out the code into libraries that will let you build all…

   2014 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Devzat▲144

   Chat with other devs over SSH in your Terminal

   2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

8. 8IM
   I made Devzat – It's like Discord but in the terminal, over SSH▲391

   Run `ssh devzat.hackclub.com` to try it out! The repo is here: https://github.com/quackduck/devzat (golang). It has markdown and emoji support, DMs, channels, and it can show images too. You can send code, and it gets syntax highlighted (you can change the theme). You can ping people like so: @user and it sends them a \a, which should play an audible sound if the terminal allows it. There's inbuilt games and rainbow names and a lot of other small things I don't remember right now. You might find the auth system interesting: it's based on a hash of ssh pubkey (bans use…

   2022 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Node.js Messenger▲140

   A small alternative to Slack

   2017 · totaljs.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    chatgpt.js▲137

    A powerful client-side JavaScript library for ChatGPT

    2023 · chatgpt.js.org · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Jan▲329

    Open-source ChatGPT alternative that runs 100% offline

    2024 · jan.ai · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Stream Chat▲327

    Build, code and ship in app messaging in a few hours

    2019 · getstream.io · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Chatblade – A CLI Swiss Army Knife for ChatGPT▲315

    integrate chatGPT into your scripts or terminal work. Supports piping text, saving prompts, estimating costs, and some basic json/yaml extraction. I've added some elaborate examples on the readme of how to use it with pictures, that may provide a better overview.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Chattt▲141

    Easily chat with people from your terminal 👨‍💻💬

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Chat'Inn▲69

    Miminal, Clean and Realtime Global Chat Application

    2022 · chat-inn.vercel.app · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Wirechat ▲113

    A robust Laravel livewire chat package

    2024 · corepine.dev · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Remote Desktop Protocol in Node.js▲140

    Remote Desktop Protocol for Node.js. Contribute to citronneur/node-rdpjs development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2015 · lc.cx · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Rocket.Chat▲152

    Your own open source Slack-like chat

    2015 · rocket.chat · its alternatives →

19. 19
    A chat client built on git▲81

    Contribute to staab/git-chat development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

20. 20IM
    I made a chat roulette for remote workers▲123

    2020 · remoteroulette.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    We built a terminal-only Bluesky / AT Proto client written in Fortran▲145

    Yes, that Fortran.

    Mar 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    TCP chat server written in C# and .NET 9, used in the terminal▲23

    A simple chat server written in C#. Contribute to Sieep-Coding/simple-chat-csharp development by creating an account on GitHub.

    Jan 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Terminal-based group chat with end-to-end encryption▲60

    group chat with end-to-end encryption. Contribute to jeztek/deadchat development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2013 · github.com · its alternatives →

24. 24WW
    Webchat with API in just ~60 lines of NodeJS▲33

    2011 · fayechat.kaerast.info · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →