Alternatives to RetroShare
A decentralized, encrypted friend-to-friend network for chat, mail, forums, channels and file sharing. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
RetroShare
A decentralized, encrypted friend-to-friend network for chat, mail, forums, channels and file sharing.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as RetroShare.
Briar
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Tor.
Briar offers peer-to-peer encrypted messaging over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Tor without internet, but is in maintenance mode and runs on Linux and Android.
Quiet
A peer-to-peer team chat app that syncs messages between members' devices over Tor, with no server.
Quiet syncs team chat between members' devices over Tor with no server, but it is unaudited beta software missing features such as DMs.
Jami
A fully peer-to-peer communication platform with no servers relaying your data and no personal information needed to sign up.
Jami is a peer-to-peer GNU platform focused on messaging, calls and video conferences rather than forums, channels and file swarming.
Keet
A peer-to-peer chat app for encrypted messages, audio and video calls, and file transfers.
Keet provides peer-to-peer encrypted chat, calls and file transfers with iOS support, but it is not open source.
qTox
A desktop client for the encrypted peer-to-peer Tox protocol with chat, calls and file transfer.
qTox is a desktop Tox client with peer-to-peer encrypted chat, voice, video and file transfer, but no forums or channels.
Cwtch
Metadata-resistant messaging over Tor with no central servers.
Cwtch is a metadata-resistant Tor messenger with no central servers, focused on chat with a smaller feature set than RetroShare.
Berty
An open-source peer-to-peer messenger that works without central servers and can operate offline.
Berty is a peer-to-peer messenger for Android and iOS that works offline, but it is messaging only and not ready for high-risk use.
Also worth comparing
These listings name RetroShare as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Freenet
A peer-to-peer platform for decentralized apps that run without central servers, starting with River chat.
RetroShare offers decentralized chat, mail, forums and file sharing through a friend-to-friend network on desktop and Android, but is useful only once friends join.
GNUnet
A GNU network protocol stack for building secure, decentralised and privacy-preserving peer-to-peer applications.
RetroShare is a friend-to-friend network with chat, forums and file sharing in one desktop and Android app, rather than a protocol stack.
Hyphanet
A peer-to-peer network for censorship-resistant, anonymous publishing and communication, formerly known as Freenet.
RetroShare offers friend-to-friend chat, forums, channels and file sharing with an Android app, but it is useful only once friends join.
IPFS Desktop
A desktop app that runs an IPFS node for sharing files over the peer-to-peer IPFS network.
RetroShare shares files over a decentralized friend-to-friend network with chat and forums, so it only helps once you have friends on the network.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Ricochet Refresh
An anonymous peer-to-peer instant messenger that connects contacts directly over Tor onion services.
Keybase
An end-to-end encrypted messaging and file-sharing app for individuals, teams, families and groups.
SimpleX Chat
A messenger with no user identifiers at all, not even a random one, so there is no account to correlate.
Session
An encrypted messenger with no phone number and no account, routed through an onion network.
Sideband
Messaging client for Reticulum networks over radio or IP.
