marchat

marchat is a self-hosted, terminal-based group chat application for real-time communication. It runs a small server with a terminal client, has chatrooms and optional end-to-end (E2E) encryption for privacy.

It has realtime chat backed by SQLite and also allows you to share files (with an interactive file picker), you can post code snippets, toggle message bell notifications, show the time, clear the chat, save files and extend more functionality with plugins. It also includes an admin panel for moderation management (ban/kick system) and customizable themes.

This tool is ideal for developers and small teams who prefer a TUI chat interface that allows team communication without relying on external services, all supported by its ability to allow for self-hosting on any server of choice.