# Bitmessage/PyBitmessage

Reference client for Bitmessage: a P2P encrypted decentralised communication protocol:

Repository: https://github.com/Bitmessage/PyBitmessage
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pybitmessage
Homepage: https://bitmessage.org/wiki/Main_Page
Language: Python
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: bitmessage, pybitmessage, p2p-communication-protocol, python, qt, p2p, messenger
Last push: 2026-05-29T16:17:56+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 61/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 84, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5042, "days_push": 96, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2883, forks 574 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:28.105370+00:00)

## What it is
PyBitmessage is the reference client for Bitmessage, a peer-to-peer protocol for sending encrypted, authenticated messages without central servers or certificate authorities. It hides sender and receiver metadata from eavesdroppers and supports both direct messages and broadcast subscriptions/chans.

## Use cases
- send encrypted messages without a central server
- communicate anonymously without revealing email addresses
- hide message metadata from eavesdroppers
- run a P2P messaging node to support the network
- broadcast messages to many subscribers
- use messaging over Tor as a hidden service

## When to choose
- you need decentralized, trustless encrypted messaging with no central authority
- metadata privacy (hiding who talks to whom) matters more than convenience
- you want sender authentication without certificate authorities
- you need censorship-resistant communication

## When to avoid
- you need real-time chat or low-latency messaging
- you want a mainstream messenger with easy contact onboarding
- you need mobile support or a polished modern UI
- you require an independently security-audited protocol

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: cryptography, p2p, chat-interface, security, privacy
- domain: privacy, messaging-platforms, security, censorship-circumvention
- platform: windows, python, cross-platform
- tags: bitmessage, decentralized-messaging, anonymous-communication, encrypted-messaging, qt-gui, trustless, metadata-hiding, tor-support, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- Bitmessage/PyBitmessage (main) score 61

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:28.105370+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 2026-08-30T07:35:25.273869+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/Bitmessage/PyBitmessage (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:28.105370+00:00, sha dd97911e0af4)
  - homepage: https://bitmessage.org/wiki/Main_Page (fetched 2026-08-29T09:50:54.549620+00:00, sha f9746fbc11b0)
  - site_page: https://wiki.bitmessage.org/index.php/Bitmessage_Wiki:About (fetched 2026-08-29T09:50:54.556511+00:00, sha bc39f9d6fc2f)
  - site_page: https://wiki.bitmessage.org/index.php/Changelog (fetched 2026-08-29T09:50:54.552316+00:00, sha 132476ef53e6)
  - site_page: https://wiki.bitmessage.org/index.php/FAQ (fetched 2026-08-29T09:50:54.554511+00:00, sha 1a394888d8e0)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.