Databag
Databag is a self-hosted, federated messenger. It features end-to-end encryption, audio/video calls, and topic-based message threads. The server is extremely lightweight and can run on a Raspberry Pi Zero.
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Self-hosted federated messenger with end-to-end encryption, low resource usage, and topic-based threads.
Core Features
- Decentralized direct app-to-node communication
- Federated accounts across different nodes
- Topic-based threads instead of contacts
- End-to-end encryption (admin cannot read sealed topics)
- Audio and video calls via TURN/STUN relay
What It Can't Do
- •Audio/video calls require a separate TURN/STUN relay server (e.g., coturn) for NAT traversal; the demo server at databag.coredb.org is regularly wiped—do not store important data.
Use Cases
- Private chat server for family or small team
- Privacy-focused alternative to Signal/Telegram
- Personal communication node on low-power devices
Databag is a self-hosted, federated messenger that lets you run your own communication node. It uses public-private key identities (no blockchain dependency) and provides end-to-end encryption for sealed topics. Messages are organized by topic, not contacts, making group chats unlimited. The server is extremely lightweight—capable of running on a Raspberry Pi Zero—and uses WebSockets for low-latency push. It supports audio/video calls via a configurable relay server, multi-factor authentication, and mobile alerts (UnifiedPush, FCM, APN). The app is available for iOS, Android, and web browsers.
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Getting Started
Download installer
Click the button above to download the installer for your system
Install the software
Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts
Step 1: Prepare a domain name and point DNS to your server IP.
Step 2: Deploy with Docker Compose (recommended): run 'docker-compose -f compose.yaml -p databag up' in the project directory.
Step 3: Access your domain in a browser, set admin password and federated host in the dashboard.
- Step 1: Prepare a domain name and point DNS to your server IP.
- Step 2: Deploy with Docker Compose (recommended): run 'docker-compose -f compose.yaml -p databag up' in the project directory.
- Step 3: Access your domain in a browser, set admin password and federated host in the dashboard.
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Stop Docker containers and remove volumes: 'docker-compose down -v', then delete the image balzack/databag to fully remove.
No Extra Dependencies
Ready to use after download. No additional runtime required.
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