Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Serverless Cloud Platform for Building Chat Apps with Node.js launched in 2020; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Node.js Messenger▲140

   A small alternative to Slack

   2017 · totaljs.com · 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
   Total.js Messenger▲181

   A small, open-source alternative to Slack

   2017 · totaljs.com · its alternatives →

5. 5SW
   Serverless WebSocket chat▲8

   2016 · blog.fanout.io · its alternatives →

6. 6
   A serverless chat backend – built on Firebase Cloud Functions▲15

   A serverless chat backend - built on Firebase Cloud Functions - abiglobalhealth/chatfireServerless

   2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Converse.js▲126

   A free and open-source chat client for your website

   2014 · conversejs.org · its alternatives →

8. 8AD
   A Decentralized Chat Using JavaScript and Rust (WebAssembly)▲6

   2019 · perlin-network.github.io · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Flows▲135

   Chat Without Internet

   2014 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    reception▲94

    Native iOS support chat for less churn

    2d ago · reception.sh · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Deskcord.chat▲74

    A widget to chat with customers from your Discord server

    Jul 2026 · deskcord.chat · its alternatives →

12. 12AA
    Android and iOS SDKs for building messaging with self-hosted server▲5

    2015 · actorapp.ghost.io · its alternatives →

13. 13SS
    Super simple chat app▲7

    2018 · boredchat.mustak.im · its alternatives →

14. 14SA
    Simple app-to-app messaging with a hosted server and common interface▲6

    2014 · dropfrog.io · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Chatty▲7

    a lightweight, fully functional app for chatting

    2015 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    AIMless – a 10 KB single file P2P chat app with zero dependencies▲13

    I built AIMless, a ridiculously minimalistic, browser native chat app that fits entirely into one HTML file (10 KB). It’s decentralized, P2P, and has no build tools, no server, and no frameworks. Just you, your browser, and a copy/pasted blob or two.

    2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Serverless, encrypted, opensource, p2p video and text chat▲9

    A secure chatting application.

    2016 · adam-hanna.github.io · its alternatives →

18. 18SR
    Serverless realtime chat with Fanout and Fly▲13

    2018 · flychat.fanoutapp.com · its alternatives →

19. 19RA
    Ranvier, a Node.js based telnet MUD codebase▲5

    2017 · ranviermud.com · its alternatives →

20. 20IM
    I made a website that lets you deploy APIs using ChatGPT without coding▲5

    2023 · backendflow.io · its alternatives →

21. 21CS
    Chatlet – Simple Video Chat▲7

    2018 · chatlet.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Unfurl Cloud – A free and open cloud▲7

    Building a free and open cloud

    2022 · unfurl.cloud · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Ring▲6

    Decentralized Chat

    2017 · its alternatives →

24. 24IW
    Instant web chat inside your LAN▲9

    2020 · localchat.bigsun.xyz · 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 →