Revolt

What is Revolt?

Revolt is an open-source, user-first chat platform designed as a direct alternative to Discord with a strong focus on privacy, user control, and freedom from corporate data harvesting. Launched in 2021, Revolt was created by frustrated Discord users who wanted the familiar server-based chat experience without the privacy concerns, data collection, and restrictions inherent in proprietary platforms owned by corporations with advertising-driven business models. Revolt provides similar functionality to Discord including servers, channels, voice chat, and rich messaging, but with a commitment to open-source transparency, user privacy, and community governance that fundamentally differentiates it from its inspiration.

What sets Revolt apart is its philosophy: the platform is built and governed by its community rather than controlled by investors or corporate interests. Revolt’s open-source codebase allows anyone to inspect exactly what the software does with user data, verify security claims, and contribute improvements. The project emphasizes user rights including the ability to self-host your own Revolt instance, giving communities complete control over their data and server infrastructure without dependence on centralized services that could shut down, change terms, or monetize user information. This approach appeals to privacy-conscious users, open-source advocates, and communities wanting alternatives to platforms increasingly dominated by corporate surveillance and advertising models.

Revolt aims to prove that user-respecting alternatives can compete with corporate platforms by delivering comparable functionality without compromising on principles. While significantly smaller than Discord with a fraction of the user base, Revolt has built a dedicated community of supporters who value its commitment to privacy and open-source development. The platform faces the challenge common to all Discord alternatives: overcoming massive network effects that keep users locked into Discord even when they’re uncomfortable with its practices. Revolt represents the idealistic vision that with enough community support and development effort, ethical alternatives to corporate platforms can succeed—though whether this idealism can scale to mainstream adoption remains an open question.

Key Features

• Open Source: Completely transparent codebase allowing community auditing, security verification, and contributions ensuring no hidden data collection or privacy violations can occur without detection.
• Servers and Channels: Familiar Discord-like organization with servers containing multiple text and voice channels, providing the structure users expect without relearning entirely new paradigms.
• Voice Chat: Built-in voice channels for audio communication during gaming, meetings, or casual hangouts with quality comparable to Discord’s voice implementation.
• Rich Messaging: Support for emoji reactions, file sharing, embeds, markdown formatting, and other modern chat features expected from contemporary messaging platforms.
• Self-Hosting Option: Ability to run your own Revolt instance giving complete data control, customization freedom, and independence from centralized infrastructure that could fail or change terms.
• Privacy Focused: Minimal data collection with clear privacy policies, no advertising or tracking, and commitment to user rights over monetization schemes that compromise privacy.
• Custom Themes: Extensive customization options allowing users to personalize interface appearance with custom themes, colors, and styling matching individual aesthetic preferences.
• Bot Support: API for creating bots and automations allowing communities to extend functionality with custom tools, moderation, and integrations similar to Discord bots.
• Cross-Platform: Available on web, desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android) ensuring consistent experience regardless of device or operating system.
• No Phone Number Required: Registration with just email and password protecting privacy by not requiring personal phone numbers that can be used for tracking or targeted advertising.

What’s New

Revolt continues active development with regular updates and improvements:

• Mobile App Improvements: Enhanced mobile applications for iOS and Android with better performance, improved interface, and feature parity with desktop versions.
• Voice Quality Enhancements: Improved voice codec support, better audio quality, reduced latency, and more stable connections during voice conversations.
• Moderation Tools: Advanced moderation features including role-based permissions, better ban management, message filtering, and tools for maintaining healthy communities.
• Performance Optimizations: Backend improvements reducing server load, faster message delivery, better scaling for larger servers, and improved overall responsiveness.
• UI/UX Refinements: Interface improvements making Revolt more polished, intuitive, and visually appealing while maintaining familiar Discord-like navigation.
• Plugin System: Extensibility framework allowing developers to create plugins that add functionality without modifying core codebase.
• Federation Exploration: Research into decentralized federation allowing different Revolt instances to communicate, potentially enabling truly distributed community networks.
• Self-Hosting Documentation: Improved guides and tools making it easier for communities to deploy and maintain their own Revolt instances.

System Requirements

Web

• Modern browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
• Internet connection
• No installation required

Desktop

• Windows: Windows 7 or later
• macOS: macOS 10.10 or later
• Linux: Any modern distribution
• RAM: 2 GB minimum
• Storage: 200 MB

Mobile

• iOS: iOS 13.0 or later
• Android: Android 7.0 or later
• Storage: 100 MB minimum

How to Install Revolt

Web Access (Easiest)

1. Visit app.revolt.chat in your web browser
2. Click “Create Account”
3. Register with email and password
4. Start creating or joining servers
5. No installation required

Desktop Installation

1. Visit revolt.chat and navigate to downloads
2. Download Revolt desktop app for your operating system
3. Install the application
4. Launch Revolt and log in with your account
5. Enjoy native desktop experience with better performance

# Download from: https://revolt.chat/download

# Linux installation options vary by distribution
# Check official documentation for specific instructions

Mobile Installation

1. iOS: Search “Revolt” in App Store
2. Android: Search “Revolt” in Google Play Store
3. Install the app
4. Log in with existing account or create new one
5. Access servers on mobile

Self-Hosting (Advanced)

# Self-hosting requires technical knowledge
# Visit https://github.com/revoltchat for source code
# Follow documentation for deployment instructions

# Basic requirements:
# - Server with Docker support
# - Domain name
# - Basic understanding of server administration

# Check official self-hosting guide:
# https://developers.revolt.chat/

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Open Source Transparency: Complete codebase visibility allows community verification of privacy claims and security practices, preventing hidden data collection or malicious features.
• Privacy Respecting: No data mining, tracking, or advertising means users aren’t products being sold to advertisers, aligning platform incentives with user interests.
• Self-Hosting Freedom: Ability to run own instance provides ultimate control and independence from centralized services that could change policies or shut down.
• Familiar Interface: Discord-like design minimizes learning curve for users already comfortable with server-based chat, easing migration from proprietary alternatives.
• Community Governed: Development driven by community needs rather than corporate profit motives ensures features serve users instead of shareholders or advertisers.
• No Vendor Lock-In: Open standards and self-hosting options prevent being trapped in proprietary ecosystem where switching costs keep users hostage.
• Active Development: Regular updates and responsive development team show commitment to improving platform and addressing user needs and feedback.

Cons

• Very Small User Base: Tiny community compared to Discord means network effects are minimal, requiring convincing entire friend groups or communities to switch.
• Limited Features: Missing many Discord features including screen sharing, video chat, rich bot ecosystem, and polish from years of development and massive funding.
• Sustainability Questions: Unclear long-term funding model raises concerns about whether volunteer-driven development can sustain complex platform indefinitely without monetization.
• Self-Hosting Complexity: While option exists, actually deploying and maintaining self-hosted instance requires significant technical knowledge beyond most users’ capabilities.
• Occasional Bugs: Younger platform with smaller team means more bugs and rougher edges than mature Discord backed by large engineering organization.

Revolt vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Revolt?

Revolt is ideal for:

• Privacy Advocates: Users deeply concerned about data privacy, corporate surveillance, and who want transparent, user-respecting alternatives to proprietary platforms.
• Open Source Enthusiasts: People who value software freedom, want to support open-source projects, and appreciate being able to inspect and verify what software actually does.
• Technical Communities: Groups with technical members who can appreciate Revolt’s principles and potentially self-host instances for complete control over community infrastructure.
• Small Friend Groups: Close-knit groups willing to convince everyone to try Revolt together, where network effect limitations matter less than with large disparate communities.
• Users Frustrated With Discord: People uncomfortable with Discord’s data practices, terms of service changes, or increasing corporate direction who want familiar functionality without compromises.
• Early Adopters: Technology enthusiasts willing to accept current limitations in exchange for supporting ethical alternatives and being part of building better platforms.

Revolt may not be ideal for:

• Mainstream Users: People wanting mature, polished experience with comprehensive features and massive user base will find Discord superior in practical functionality and network effects.
• Large Communities: Existing communities with hundreds or thousands of members will struggle migrating to platform with limited adoption and missing features.
• Video Chat Users: Groups needing screen sharing and video calls will find Revolt’s voice-only limitation frustrating compared to Discord’s comprehensive communication features.
• Non-Technical Users: People uncomfortable with alpha/beta software, bugs, or missing features will prefer established platforms with professional support and polish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Can Revolt really compete with Discord’s massive user base and features?

Honestly, no—at least not in the short to medium term. Discord has over 150 million monthly users, years of development, massive funding, and comprehensive features that Revolt won’t match for years if ever. Revolt competes on principles (privacy, open source, user control) rather than features or scale. For users who prioritize ethics over convenience, Revolt offers viable alternative despite limitations. For mainstream users valuing features and network effects, Discord remains superior choice. Revolt’s success depends on whether enough users value privacy and open source sufficiently to accept current limitations and help build network effects. Think of Revolt as principled alternative for specific users rather than mainstream Discord replacement. It fills similar role as Linux versus Windows—smaller user base, requires accepting tradeoffs, but serves users who value freedom over universal compatibility.

Question 2: Is Revolt actually more private than Discord?

Yes, Revolt is architecturally more privacy-respecting than Discord. Revolt collects minimal data, has no advertising or tracking, and its open-source code can be audited to verify claims. Discord’s proprietary code means trusting corporate assurances while the platform collects extensive data for advertising, analytics, and unspecified future uses. However, “more private” doesn’t mean “completely private”—using Revolt’s hosted service still requires trusting Revolt operators. For maximum privacy, self-hosting Revolt instance gives complete control, or use Matrix/Element for decentralized architecture. Revolt represents significant privacy improvement over Discord but isn’t as private as fully decentralized alternatives. For most threat models, Revolt’s privacy is adequate; for extreme privacy needs, consider Matrix or self-hosted solutions.

Question 3: Should I try convincing my Discord community to switch to Revolt?

Probably not, unless your community is small, technical, and already frustrated with Discord. Migration challenges are substantial: you’ll lose message history, bots won’t work, features will be missing, and many members will resist changing platforms. Network effects make Discord sticky even when users dislike it. More realistic approach: use Revolt for new communities aligned with its values, or maintain both platforms during gradual transition. Only attempt full migration if your community explicitly values privacy/open source enough to accept significant disruption and feature loss. For established Discord communities satisfied with current platform, forcing migration creates friction without clear benefit to average members who don’t share your principled objections to Discord. Better strategy is leading by example with new communities than evangelizing to satisfied Discord users.

Question 4: How does Revolt plan to sustain itself financially long-term?

This is Revolt’s biggest open question. Currently relying on donations and volunteer development, which works short-term but raises sustainability concerns for complex platform requiring ongoing infrastructure and development. Potential paths include: optional premium features (cosmetics, storage upgrades) keeping core free, managed hosting services for communities wanting self-hosting without complexity, or grant funding from organizations supporting open-source alternatives. Revolt commits to never monetizing through advertising or data sale, limiting revenue options. The platform’s future depends on whether community support can sustain costs or if sustainable business model emerges. Users should recognize this uncertainty when choosing to invest in Revolt—the platform’s survival isn’t guaranteed like corporate-backed Discord. This risk is inherent tradeoff of supporting volunteer-driven open-source alternatives to commercial platforms.

Question 5: What happens if Revolt shuts down?

If Revolt’s hosted service shut down, communities could migrate message histories elsewhere or deploy self-hosted instances since it’s open source. Your data isn’t locked in proprietary format or controlled exclusively by corporation that could disappear. This is advantage of open-source platforms—community can fork and continue development even if original team disbands. However, practically, most users don’t have technical knowledge to self-host or migrate data smoothly. Realistic approach involves maintaining backup communication channels (Discord, Matrix) alongside Revolt, regularly exporting important data, and monitoring project health. Don’t bet communities exclusively on any single platform especially younger ones. Revolt’s open nature provides better long-term resilience than proprietary alternatives, but that doesn’t eliminate risks of relying on volunteer-driven project for critical communications.

Final Verdict

Revolt represents important and principled effort to build user-respecting Discord alternative prioritizing privacy, transparency, and community governance over corporate profits. For users frustrated by Discord’s data practices, increasing commercialization, and lack of accountability inherent in proprietary platforms, Revolt offers genuine alternative built on better foundations. The commitment to open source, self-hosting options, and privacy-first design demonstrates that alternatives adhering to ethical principles are technically possible even if challenging to scale against well-funded corporate competitors.

However, practical reality is that Revolt faces enormous challenges in achieving meaningful adoption. Network effects keep users locked in Discord even when uncomfortable with its practices. Missing features including video chat, screen sharing, and mature bot ecosystem create real functionality gaps. Unclear financial sustainability raises questions about long-term viability. Small user base means limited practical utility unless you can convince entire communities to migrate together. These aren’t criticisms of Revolt’s execution but acknowledgment of structural disadvantages facing any alternative to entrenched platform with massive network effects.

Revolt is recommended for privacy-conscious users, open-source advocates, and small technical communities willing to accept current limitations in exchange for supporting ethical alternatives. Use it for new communities where you control platform choice, or maintain alongside Discord during gradual transition if community shares your values. However, be realistic about migration challenges for established Discord communities and understand that most users prioritize convenience over principles. Revolt deserves support as important alternative demonstrating better models for chat platforms, but expecting it to replace Discord mainstream ignores fundamental network effect dynamics. Support Revolt if you value its mission, but maintain realistic expectations about its current capabilities and adoption prospects.