Desktop Beta v1.1 now available!
The Relay Network
A modern self-hosted community social platform.
Features
Chat with your friends your way.
Each server is highly configurable. You control the server, the data, and which features are enabled. Manage your own channels, roles, permissions, and server look. No corporation selling your data.
Voice and Video
Connecting with friends is more than just text. Enable Voice channels on your server to allow users to talk and stream their webcam (or screens) to each other.
Never Miss an Update
The Relay Network is more than just a chat platform. The Relay Client has a unified dashboard of posts and calendar events from all of your joined servers.
Seamless Integration
Server-side plugins allow you to add custom integrations via our Relay Server API. We also have built-in integrations that you can enable.
File Sharing
Share files with your friends, whether they’re images, videos, or zip files! You can attach up to 4 files per message, 25mb each.
Built for Communities
Our team has managed large communities for over two decades across multiple social platforms. We understand what features people want and need the most!
Active Development
The Relay Network is currently under active development and evolving every day. Interested in testing our beta client? Join our Relay Server!
Server Features
Host your own Relay Server
Want total control? Run your own Relay Server on your own hardware!
The average Relay Server runs great on a modest VPS!*
To get started, visit our Getting Started with Relay Server page.
*1gbps server network recommended
Roles & Permissions
User Roles
You’re in control of your community. Create roles, modify permissions, and give specific people specific access to specific features. Specifically!
Roles & Permissions
Channel Overrides
Maybe you want an admin area, or members-only area, or VIP area – we got you covered. Apply channel and category-specific permission overrides per role!
Bots & Plugins
Dev-Friendly
Our Bot & Plugin APIs allow developers to create fun and unique experiences for The Relay Network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
The Relay Network is under active development. If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns, feel free to reach out to us any time at contact@tryrelay.net
What is the Relay Network?
The Relay Network is a full communication protocol inspired by Internet Relay Chat (IRC).
We’ve modernized the IRC concept while maintaining it’s philosophy on self-hosted and private communication servers.
We believe you should be able to enjoy all of the features of modern chat clients without being tied to a singular identity or having your data harvested by a massive corporation.
How does The Relay Network work?
The Relay Network is made up of two core systems: a Relay Server, and a Relay Client – communicating through a custom protocol via TCP, HTTP, and WebRTC.
Each Relay Server instance is self-hosted by the server owner. The server owner is responsible for setting up the Relay Server, such as roles, channels, permissions, and server name/icon via the Relay Client. The server owner may also configure message persistence, file uploading, posting, voice/video/watch party functionality, SSL encryption, database (sqlite or postgresql), and more.
Text, Video, and Voice packets are all relayed from client -> server -> other clients. Clients never see each others’ IP addresses.
Do I need a Relay Server?
Yes, and no. If you know someone who has a Relay Server and they are okay with you joining it, you do NOT need to host your own Relay Server.
You and your friends can also join our Relay Server and say hi! Our server has all Relay Network features enabled, including voice chat, DMs, watch party functionality, and more.
If you don’t want to join us, and don’t know anyone that has their own Relay Server, then we suggest you host your own!
The Relay Server runs perfect on most cheap Virtual Private Server services, but we recommend you run on a 1gbps network for maximum voice/video performance.
You can also host a Relay Server from your home network, but you will need to port forward and give out your IP address. We do not recommend it, but you do you! It’s a great free solution for trusted friends!
Is it difficult to host a Relay Server?
Not at all! It’s as easy as hosting your own Minecraft server!
If you’re interested, visit our Getting Started with Relay Server page for more information.
How do I report bugs or recommend features?
Great question! We want The Relay Network to be the best it can be, and would love to hear your feedback.
You can get in touch with us by joining Our Relay Server or by emailing us at contact@tryrelay.net.
Can I edit the theme?
Yep! Within your Relay Client, you can change your appearance colors to whatever you’d like! If you make a mistake, you can always reset back to default.
Each Relay Server can also choose to set their own custom appearance per-server for people who join, but clients can always choose to disable server-side themes if they prefer.
Are there bots or plugins?
Yes, of course! Server-side plugins allow custom integrations such as Spotify, Steam, Ollama, IRC, Twitch chat, Discord, Minecraft, and more.
We also have a Bot API, Webhook system, and Server API for developers to create bots and custom integrations for their server.
If you make something cool, we encourage you share it with The Relay Network community!
Try now for FREE
Host your own server for free – or download the client and join an existing server!