# Keybase

Keybase Go Library, Client, Service, OS X, iOS, Android, Electron

Repository: https://github.com/keybase/client
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/keybase
Language: Go
License: BSD-3-Clause
License Family: permissive
Topics: keybase, chat, kbfs, react-native, react, go, pgp, end-to-end-encryption
Last push: 2026-08-26T22:16:45+00:00
Link (homepage): https://keybase.io/docs/kbfs
Link (site_page): https://book.keybase.io/docs/cli
Link (site_page): https://book.keybase.io/docs/server
Link (site_page): https://book.keybase.io/docs/teams
Link (site_page): https://book.keybase.io/docs/chat

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 91/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 75, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4252, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 91, "gap_med": 43.5, "n_releases_24m": 5}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 9242, forks 1287 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:29.037390+00:00)

## What it is
Keybase is an open-source end-to-end encrypted messaging, file-sharing, and identity-verification platform with clients for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus a Go library and CLI. It includes KBFS, a globally-namespaced encrypted filesystem, encrypted team chat, PGP key management, and a Stellar wallet.

## Use cases
- send end-to-end encrypted messages to individuals and teams
- store and share files in an encrypted global filesystem
- prove ownership of twitter/github/reddit/website identities cryptographically
- manage PGP keys and encrypt messages from the command line
- build chat bots with encrypted key-value storage
- keep a Stellar crypto wallet synced across devices

## When to choose
- you need encrypted chat and file sharing with verifiable identity proofs
- you want a mountable encrypted filesystem with a global namespace
- you need cross-platform encrypted team communication with a CLI and bot API

## When to avoid
- you need a fully self-hosted solution since the Keybase service is centralized
- you need actively evolving features, as development has slowed since the Zoom acquisition
- you need large-scale file storage rather than on-demand streamed files

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: cryptography, chat-interface, file-system, cli, gui, auth, security
- domain: security, privacy, messaging-platforms, developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: windows, go, cli, cross-platform
- tags: end-to-end-encryption, pgp, kbfs, encrypted-chat, identity-verification, stellar-wallet, react-native, key-management, macos, linux, ios, android, electron

## Member repositories
- keybase/client (main) score 91
- keybase/kbfs (mirror) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:29.037390+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 2026-08-29T17:23:14.714856+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/keybase/client (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:29.037390+00:00, sha c25a711c709c)
  - homepage: https://keybase.io/docs/kbfs (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.228070+00:00, sha 28c3c6850c5e)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/cli (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.232318+00:00, sha 07352562e5a1)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/server (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.234438+00:00, sha 6433900421f4)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/teams (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.238072+00:00, sha 7b025531127d)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/chat (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.240165+00:00, sha 70db50fe2100)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/files/details (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.242075+00:00, sha 211e66b133bf)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/wallet (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.245068+00:00, sha 4bd19b830590)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/crypto (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.246924+00:00, sha e2df027ad6b4)
  - site_page: https://book.keybase.io/docs/bots (fetched 2026-08-29T08:23:09.248591+00:00, sha 48cb1e6ea08d)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.