# balzack/databag

fast & lightweight self-hosted messenger

Repository: https://github.com/balzack/databag
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/databag
Language: TypeScript
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: decentralized, federated, dweb, reactjs, golang, raspberry-pi, raspberry-pi-zero, android, ios, react-native, chat-application, webrtc, video-chat, fdroid, selfhosted, messenger, end-to-end-encryption, openwrt, self-sovereign-identity
Last push: 2026-06-14T11:45:27+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 62/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 87, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1717, "days_push": 80, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1483, forks 96 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:51.293876+00:00)

## What it is
Databag is a fast, lightweight, self-hosted federated messenger with end-to-end encryption, audio/video calls via WebRTC, and topic-based threads. It consists of a Go server node that can run on minimal hardware like a Raspberry Pi Zero, plus mobile and web clients.

## Use cases
- self-host a private chat messenger for family or team
- run a messaging server on a raspberry pi zero
- federated chat between accounts on different servers
- end-to-end encrypted messaging the host admin cannot read
- make audio and video calls with a self-hosted messenger
- host unlimited chat accounts on one node
- replace proprietary messengers with a decentralized alternative

## When to choose
- you want full control over your messaging infrastructure on cheap hardware
- you need federated communication across independently hosted nodes
- you want E2E encryption plus voice/video calls in one self-hosted app
- you need mobile apps from F-Droid, Play Store, or App Store

## When to avoid
- you need a managed hosted service with no server maintenance
- you require integration with existing enterprise chat ecosystems like Slack or Teams
- you need large-scale centralized deployment with horizontal scaling out of the box
- you want a messenger with a large existing user network

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: chat-interface, websocket, auth, cryptography, self-hosted
- domain: messaging-platforms, privacy, self-hosted, cross-platform
- platform: self-hosted, cross-platform
- tags: messenger, federated, decentralized, end-to-end-encryption, webrtc, video-calls, raspberry-pi, react-native, golang-backend, android, ios, web-server, docker

## Member repositories
- balzack/databag (main) score 62

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:51.293876+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:34:02.198565+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/balzack/databag (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:51.293876+00:00, sha 7ba7bb399e0c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.