{"slug": "delta-chat", "name": "Delta Chat", "category": "communication", "category_name": "Email and chat", "description": "Open-source messenger that uses email servers for end-to-end encrypted chat.", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 5.484, "rising": 0.69, "first": "2025-11-20", "latest": "2026-08-30", "why": "Recommended for easy, reliable chat over email with end-to-end encryption you can self-host, plus easy bots and WebXDC apps.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 1, 2, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Encrypted email", "Easy and reliable"], "caveat": "Learning curve", "short_quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://delta.chat", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Delta Chat", "DeltaChat"], "verdict": [{"text": "Recommended for easy, reliable chat over email", "cites": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}, {"id": 787094145, "item_id": 49193384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49193384", "by": "fossman", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "excerpt": "I don't have to imagine. I've already traveled internationally with the Librem 5 and it can do what I need it to do. Esim is supported with an adapter like those from JMP, but I use a local SIM card from that country. Whatsapp I never use, Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "context": "Librem 5 user traveling internationally", "use_case": "messaging while traveling", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}]}, {"text": " with end-to-end encryption you can self-host,", "cites": [{"id": 775655394, "item_id": 48478462, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48478462", "by": "tcyrus", "date": "2026-06-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you're interested in E2EE emails that you can host yourself, I recommend looking into Delta Chat (chatmail)", "excerpt": "The E2EE behind Tuta Mail and Proton Mail are designed around vendor lock-in. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision, it shows the intent behind both products. Proton Mail supports PGP encryption for external communications, but I believe Proton Mail Bridge still blocks users from sending PGP encrypted emails. The vendor lock-in is so bad that some Proton Official Emails (specifically Zendesk Support an", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted E2EE email", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tuta and Proton: An Open Source Client Does Not Result in an Open Source Service"}, {"id": 776154192, "item_id": 48509637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48509637", "by": "ruslan", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "excerpt": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably. Yet it still requires understanding of the process.", "context": "", "use_case": "encrypted email", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Future of Email"}]}, {"text": " plus easy bots and WebXDC apps.", "cites": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}, {"id": 786098754, "item_id": 49131172, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49131172", "by": "rpdillon", "date": "2026-07-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe.", "excerpt": "I ran across WebXDC this past weekend, and I'm intrigued. I've built a few apps on it already, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by how cleverly inverted the whole model is (in combination with ChatMail). Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe. I use Arcanechat on Android. https://webxdc.org/ https://chatmail.at/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-chat/id1459523234 https://arcanechat.me/ The beauty of the ecosyst", "context": "", "use_case": "chat client for WebXDC apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Software for One"}]}, {"text": " Caveats are that the encryption still requires understanding the process,", "cites": [{"id": 776154192, "item_id": 48509637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48509637", "by": "ruslan", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "excerpt": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably. Yet it still requires understanding of the process.", "context": "", "use_case": "encrypted email", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Future of Email"}]}, {"text": " and forward secrecy is only planned.", "cites": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Encrypted email", "summary": "Handles E2EE and GPG email comfortably and avoids vendor lock-in.", "quotes": [{"id": 776154192, "item_id": 48509637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48509637", "by": "ruslan", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "excerpt": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably. Yet it still requires understanding of the process.", "context": "", "use_case": "encrypted email", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Future of Email"}, {"id": 775655394, "item_id": 48478462, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48478462", "by": "tcyrus", "date": "2026-06-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you're interested in E2EE emails that you can host yourself, I recommend looking into Delta Chat (chatmail)", "excerpt": "The E2EE behind Tuta Mail and Proton Mail are designed around vendor lock-in. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision, it shows the intent behind both products. Proton Mail supports PGP encryption for external communications, but I believe Proton Mail Bridge still blocks users from sending PGP encrypted emails. The vendor lock-in is so bad that some Proton Official Emails (specifically Zendesk Support an", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted E2EE email", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tuta and Proton: An Open Source Client Does Not Result in an Open Source Service"}]}, {"label": "Easy and reliable", "summary": "Commenters say it is easy to use and works, including while traveling.", "quotes": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}, {"id": 787094145, "item_id": 49193384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49193384", "by": "fossman", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "excerpt": "I don't have to imagine. I've already traveled internationally with the Librem 5 and it can do what I need it to do. Esim is supported with an adapter like those from JMP, but I use a local SIM card from that country. Whatsapp I never use, Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "context": "Librem 5 user traveling internationally", "use_case": "messaging while traveling", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}]}, {"label": "Apps and bots", "summary": "Bots are easy to build, and WebXDC apps run inside chats.", "quotes": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}, {"id": 786098754, "item_id": 49131172, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49131172", "by": "rpdillon", "date": "2026-07-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe.", "excerpt": "I ran across WebXDC this past weekend, and I'm intrigued. I've built a few apps on it already, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by how cleverly inverted the whole model is (in combination with ChatMail). Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe. I use Arcanechat on Android. https://webxdc.org/ https://chatmail.at/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-chat/id1459523234 https://arcanechat.me/ The beauty of the ecosyst", "context": "", "use_case": "chat client for WebXDC apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Software for One"}]}, {"label": "Cross-device use", "summary": "Runs on several platforms and can share things between your own devices.", "quotes": [{"id": 791911520, "item_id": 49494470, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49494470", "by": "chanux", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use DeltaChat just by myself to share things between devices.", "excerpt": "I use DeltaChat just by myself to share things between devices. Not really the intended purpose but it's good enough for me!", "context": "", "use_case": "sharing things between devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tether: iMessage, SMS, etc. on Linux"}, {"id": 786098754, "item_id": 49131172, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49131172", "by": "rpdillon", "date": "2026-07-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe.", "excerpt": "I ran across WebXDC this past weekend, and I'm intrigued. I've built a few apps on it already, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by how cleverly inverted the whole model is (in combination with ChatMail). Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe. I use Arcanechat on Android. https://webxdc.org/ https://chatmail.at/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-chat/id1459523234 https://arcanechat.me/ The beauty of the ecosyst", "context": "", "use_case": "chat client for WebXDC apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Software for One"}, {"id": 787094145, "item_id": 49193384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49193384", "by": "fossman", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "excerpt": "I don't have to imagine. I've already traveled internationally with the Librem 5 and it can do what I need it to do. Esim is supported with an adapter like those from JMP, but I use a local SIM card from that country. Whatsapp I never use, Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "context": "Librem 5 user traveling internationally", "use_case": "messaging while traveling", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}]}, {"label": "Self-hostable", "summary": "Can be self-hosted through chatmail.", "quotes": [{"id": 775655394, "item_id": 48478462, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48478462", "by": "tcyrus", "date": "2026-06-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you're interested in E2EE emails that you can host yourself, I recommend looking into Delta Chat (chatmail)", "excerpt": "The E2EE behind Tuta Mail and Proton Mail are designed around vendor lock-in. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision, it shows the intent behind both products. Proton Mail supports PGP encryption for external communications, but I believe Proton Mail Bridge still blocks users from sending PGP encrypted emails. The vendor lock-in is so bad that some Proton Official Emails (specifically Zendesk Support an", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted E2EE email", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tuta and Proton: An Open Source Client Does Not Result in an Open Source Service"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Learning curve", "summary": "Using the encryption still requires understanding how the process works.", "quotes": [{"id": 776154192, "item_id": 48509637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48509637", "by": "ruslan", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "excerpt": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably. Yet it still requires understanding of the process.", "context": "", "use_case": "encrypted email", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Future of Email"}]}, {"label": "No forward secrecy", "summary": "Forward secrecy is planned but not yet available.", "quotes": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}]}, {"label": "Past rough edges", "summary": "Older versions were weaker, and users are advised to retry it.", "quotes": [{"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}]}], "who": [{"by": "fossman", "context": "Librem 5 user traveling internationally", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49193384", "date": "2026-08-05"}], "tags": ["self-hostable", "for privacy-focused users", "for building chat apps", "for Linux phones", "for syncing own devices"], "use_cases": ["sharing things between devices", "messaging while traveling", "chat client for webxdc apps", "encrypted email", "self-hosted e2ee email", "messaging"], "compared": [{"slug": "signal", "name": "Signal", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49415386", "title": "Tether: iMessage, SMS, etc. on Linux", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49188022", "title": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49096605", "title": "Software for One", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48502321", "title": "The Future of Email", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48477223", "title": "Tuta and Proton: An Open Source Client Does Not Result in an Open Source Service", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45987179", "title": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 791911520, "item_id": 49494470, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49494470", "by": "chanux", "date": "2026-08-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use DeltaChat just by myself to share things between devices.", "excerpt": "I use DeltaChat just by myself to share things between devices. Not really the intended purpose but it's good enough for me!", "context": "", "use_case": "sharing things between devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tether: iMessage, SMS, etc. on Linux"}, {"id": 787094145, "item_id": 49193384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49193384", "by": "fossman", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "excerpt": "I don't have to imagine. I've already traveled internationally with the Librem 5 and it can do what I need it to do. Esim is supported with an adapter like those from JMP, but I use a local SIM card from that country. Whatsapp I never use, Signal and Delta Chat work fine.", "context": "Librem 5 user traveling internationally", "use_case": "messaging while traveling", "switched_from": "", "story": "I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux"}, {"id": 786098754, "item_id": 49131172, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49131172", "by": "rpdillon", "date": "2026-07-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe.", "excerpt": "I ran across WebXDC this past weekend, and I'm intrigued. I've built a few apps on it already, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by how cleverly inverted the whole model is (in combination with ChatMail). Delta Chat is available on iOS, I believe. I use Arcanechat on Android. https://webxdc.org/ https://chatmail.at/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-chat/id1459523234 https://arcanechat.me/ The beauty of the ecosyst", "context": "", "use_case": "chat client for WebXDC apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Software for One"}, {"id": 776154192, "item_id": 48509637, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48509637", "by": "ruslan", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably.", "excerpt": "Delta Chat is an email client I use and advise to my correspondents, it does GPG stuff quite comfortably. Yet it still requires understanding of the process.", "context": "", "use_case": "encrypted email", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Future of Email"}, {"id": 775655394, "item_id": 48478462, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48478462", "by": "tcyrus", "date": "2026-06-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you're interested in E2EE emails that you can host yourself, I recommend looking into Delta Chat (chatmail)", "excerpt": "The E2EE behind Tuta Mail and Proton Mail are designed around vendor lock-in. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision, it shows the intent behind both products. Proton Mail supports PGP encryption for external communications, but I believe Proton Mail Bridge still blocks users from sending PGP encrypted emails. The vendor lock-in is so bad that some Proton Official Emails (specifically Zendesk Support an", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted E2EE email", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tuta and Proton: An Open Source Client Does Not Result in an Open Source Service"}, {"id": 735866480, "item_id": 45991655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45991655", "by": "pqs", "date": "2025-11-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy", "excerpt": "I've been using Delta Chat with a lot of success. It is easy, it works, bots are easy and the concept is improving. They even plan to have forward secrecy. So, give it a try. If you explored it a long time ago, try again, many things have improved in that ecosystem.", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory"}]}