Last checked October 15, 2026
Stoat
Stoat is a chat platform in the Discord shape: servers, channels, and voice. The backend is generally AGPL-3.0, and individual crates can carry their own license. You can use stoat.chat or host the stack. The self-host guide says most official clients do not point at a server you run. The web client does.
The backend license says AGPL-3.0 except where a crate ships its own license. Self-hosted instances must follow that license, including source for modifications you run.
Free tier
stoat.chat is the hosted service. The server software can be self-hosted.
Hosted
No hosted price recorded.
Self-host
Hard. Docker Compose from the self-hosted repository: API, web client, file server, and voice. Official mobile clients are a poor fit for a private instance. About $10–20/mo for a small VPS. Unverified estimate.
Drop-in scores
Sources checked
https://ditchly.co/software/stoat