How Retro Hex Chat Works
Retro Hex Chat combines a self-hosted Phoenix server with real-time chat, channel Spaces, private WebRTC peer-to-peer sessions, and self-hosted channel conferences.
One server. Fully yours.
Messages, users, channels — all stored on your machine.
You decide who joins, what channels exist, and how moderation works.
PostgreSQL keeps the data accessible for your own backup and migration strategy.
Anyone can run a server. Install it on a $5/month VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or your own hardware. You control everything.
Public: open to anyone who wants to join.
Private: invite-only, for your company or group.
Private sessions connect directly via WebRTC.
For private calls, file transfer, and multiplayer games, the server only handles signaling — helping users find each other. Once connected, all data flows directly between browsers via WebRTC.
If a direct connection isn’t possible (strict firewalls), a TURN relay is used as fallback while WebRTC transport encryption remains in place.
Spaces are real-time map views of the same conversation.
The Space attaches to the active channel or direct message; it is not a separate room.
The browser sends inputs; the server validates movement, interactions, and presence before broadcasting deltas.
Messages stay in the normal conversation while the Space displays them as in-map bubbles.
Group calls use your server as the media router.
Each browser sends media to the room server; the room server routes streams to the other participants.
Conference access follows the channel membership and moderation model.
Operators can lock the room, mute participants, disable cameras, manage screen sharing, or end the conference.
Big Tech vs. Retro Hex Chat.
| Big Tech | Retro Hex Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages | Stored on their servers, mined for ads | Stored on YOUR server, never leaves |
| Calls | Routed through corporate infrastructure | Private P2P, or conferences routed by your own server |
| Your data | Trains their AI, sold to advertisers | Stays in your database, period |
| Code | Closed source — trust us | Open source — verify yourself |
| Control | They can ban you anytime | You own the server — nobody can |
No tracking. No profiling. No algorithms. Your conversations are your business.
Security at every layer.
Server connection: HTTPS and WSS with TLS encryption.
P2P calls: DTLS-SRTP encryption built into WebRTC.
Channel conferences: WebRTC media routed by your self-hosted room server.
Passwords: bcrypt hashing, never stored in plain text.
Open source: anyone can audit the code. No backdoors.