---
title: "Fluxer vs Stoat: which open source chat app fits your community?"
description: "Fluxer and Stoat are both free and open source. We read both codebases to compare self-hosting, features, privacy and apps, and the places where Stoat is ahead."
url: "https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-vs-stoat"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-11-01"
category: "About Fluxer"
---

> Index of Fluxer's official pages for AI agents: https://fluxer.com/llms.txt
> Links to Fluxer pages go to their Markdown versions when they have one. For other Fluxer help, policy or blog links, remove any #section part and add .md to the end.

# Fluxer vs Stoat: which open source chat app fits your community?

Fluxer and Stoat are both free and open source. We read both codebases to compare self-hosting, features, privacy and apps, and the places where Stoat is ahead.

Fluxer and Stoat are both free and open source chat apps. Fluxer's official desktop and Android apps connect to self-hosted instances, and so does the iOS app, which we expect on the App Store in early November 2026. Neither app is end-to-end encrypted or federated today. Our roadmap plans end-to-end encrypted calls in 2026 with no setting to turn them off, and optional federation with a stable release in 2027.

Stoat, which was called Revolt until 2025, has been live since 2021 and stores its data mainly in the EU. fluxer.com opened to everyone in January 2026, and we're [moving its stored data to our own hardware in Sweden](https://fluxer.com/help/servers-in-sweden.md), with no date set yet.

We compared the two apps by reading Stoat's source code on GitHub as of late October 2026, alongside our own. Each Stoat link goes to the exact code or comment we checked. Both let people who run their own instance change most limits. The numbers here are the defaults, and Stoat's match what [its own API](https://api.stoat.chat/) reported on November 2, 2026.

## How do Fluxer and Stoat compare at a glance?

| | Fluxer | Stoat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free, with an optional [Plutonium](https://fluxer.com/help/plutonium.md) subscription | [Free today, with a subscription planned](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/issues/1050#issuecomment-6511967196) |
| License | [AGPL 3.0 or later](https://fluxer.com/help/open-source.md) | [AGPL 3.0 or later, with some shared libraries under MIT](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/LICENSE) |
| Official apps for self-hosted instances | [Desktop, Android and iOS, with iOS coming to the App Store in early November 2026 (TestFlight on hold for now)](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosting-fluxer.md) | [The web app only](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md#L47) |
| Admin tools for self-hosters | [An admin panel with permissions for each admin](https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer/blob/684c09629e99a77e7abf99daa11a4da6a1d774cf/packages/constants/src/AdminACLs.ts), and [command-line tools](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/running/#manage-people) | [None, administration is done in the database](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/673#discussioncomment-17903159) |
| Threads and forum channels | [Early beta for everyone](https://fluxer.com/help/threads-and-forums.md) | [Not in its code](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/models/src/v0/channels.rs#L13-L120) |
| Custom emoji and stickers per community | [500 emoji and 500 stickers](https://fluxer.com/help/equip-emoji-and-stickers.md) | [100 emoji and no stickers](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/config/Revolt.toml#L243) |
| Message search | [One channel, your DMs or all your communities, with filters](https://fluxer.com/help/messaging.md) | [One channel at a time, by keyword](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/delta/src/routes/channels/message_search.rs#L15-L74) |
| Export your data | [Yes, from "User settings"](https://fluxer.com/help/data-export.md) | [No self-serve export yet](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/931#discussioncomment-15770716), [a copy on request](https://stoat.chat/legal/privacy) |
| Passkeys and security keys | [Yes](https://fluxer.com/help/two-factor.md) | [No, authenticator apps only](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/database/src/models/accounts/model.rs#L101-L139) |
| Federation | [Planned, with a stable release in 2027](https://fluxer.com/blog/roadmap-2026.md) | [Not on its roadmap](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/docs/docs/faq.md#L45-L57) |
| Free upload limit | [25 MB per file](https://fluxer.com/help/file-upload-limit.md) | [20 MB per file](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/config/Revolt.toml#L332) |
| Voice regions | [16 regions on six continents](https://fluxer.com/help/hosting.md) | [One, in Helsinki, Finland](https://api.stoat.chat/) |
| Screen share | [720p at 30 fps free, up to 4K at 60 fps with Plutonium](https://fluxer.com/plutonium) | [720p at 30 fps](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-web/blob/a98f976c645203040fa1b022a46e4216d9fe035c/packages/client/components/rtc/state.tsx#L426-L457) |
| Where data is stored | [United States today](https://fluxer.com/help/is-fluxer-hosted-in-europe.md), [moving to our own hardware in Sweden](https://fluxer.com/help/servers-in-sweden.md) | [Mainly the EU](https://stoat.chat/legal/privacy) |
| iPhone | Web app, and [coming to the App Store in early November 2026 (TestFlight on hold for now)](https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-app-store.md) | [Web app](https://stoat.chat/download/ios) |
| Android | [Google Play beta](https://fluxer.com/help/apps.md) | [Google Play early access](https://stoat.chat/download) |
| Live since | [January 2026](https://fluxer.com/help/when-was-fluxer-created.md) | [2021](https://stoat.chat/about) |
| Mobile crash reports | [Off unless you turn them on](https://fluxer.com/privacy.md) | [Always on in the Android app](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-android/blob/86154f01f7c9303338a1504345dbdf90dd9d9b92/app/src/main/java/chat/stoat/activities/MainActivity.kt#L393-L396) |
| Push-to-talk | ✓ | ✗ |
| Android app without Google Play | ✓ | ✗ |

## What makes Fluxer different from Stoat?

You can self-host Fluxer for free, and the official desktop, Android and iOS apps connect to your instance. [Fluxer has none of its messages, files or accounts](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosted-instance-privacy.md), and gets data from it only if the [push relay or crash reports](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosted-instance-privacy.md) are turned on. Stoat's Android app [connects only to Stoat's servers for now](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-android/blob/86154f01f7c9303338a1504345dbdf90dd9d9b92/core/model/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/stoat/core/model/data/Constants.kt#L3-L11), and its iOS app lets you pick another server only in [development builds](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-ios/blob/494726e7085f7f1f586f06406dc173f24b406465/Stoat/Pages/Settings/Settings.swift#L122-L131).

A Stoat developer [wrote in September 2026](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/1624#discussioncomment-18625421) that the Android app still doesn't work with self-hosted instances, and that work to change this is underway.

You can [export your data](https://fluxer.com/help/data-export.md) at any time and delete your own messages in bulk with ["Delete my messages"](https://fluxer.com/help/auto-delete-messages.md) under "Privacy" in "User settings". Stoat has no self-serve export yet, though its [privacy policy](https://stoat.chat/legal/privacy) lets you ask for a copy of your data. Its only bulk delete is [a moderator tool](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/delta/src/routes/channels/message_bulk_delete.rs#L16-L57) for up to 100 messages from the last 7 days in one channel.

End-to-end encryption is planned for Fluxer with [no setting to turn it off](https://fluxer.com/help/is-fluxer-end-to-end-encrypted.md), for calls in 2026 and for DMs and group DMs with a stable release in 2027. Forum channels will also get an optional [public web mode](https://fluxer.com/blog/roadmap-2026.md), with an experimental draft planned before the end of 2026.

## Is Fluxer free like Stoat?

Yes. An account on fluxer.com is free, and so are communities, messages, voice and video calls, screen sharing and [running your own instance](https://fluxer.com/help/is-self-hosting-free.md). [Plutonium](https://fluxer.com/help/plutonium.md) is an optional subscription for US$4.99 a month or US$49.99 a year that raises the limits on your own account, for example uploads up to 500 MB and messages up to 4,000 characters.

Stoat has no paid plan today, and its [developer FAQ](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/docs/docs/faq.md#L29-L36) says it's funded entirely through donations and has plans to make money in the future. In October 2026, a Stoat developer [wrote on GitHub](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/issues/1050#issuecomment-6511967196) that larger uploads "will be available as a subscription for our main platform." fluxer.com is funded by Plutonium, donations and the optional [Operator Pass](https://fluxer.com/help/operator-pass.md), a one-time purchase you never need to self-host, and [Fluxer has no outside investors](https://fluxer.com/help/who-runs-fluxer.md).

## Who owns Stoat?

Stoat is run by Revolt Platforms Ltd in England.[^stoat-imprint] The project changed its name from Revolt in 2025 after [a cease and desist about the old name](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/988#discussioncomment-14599998), and the same team runs it.

## Is Fluxer more private than Stoat?

Fluxer shows no ads, doesn't sell, rent or license your messages or any other personal data and doesn't share it with anyone for their advertising, as [our tracking page](https://fluxer.com/help/tracking.md) says. [Stoat's privacy policy](https://stoat.chat/legal/privacy) says it will never sell your data, and its [About page](https://stoat.chat/about) says it was started with no ads. Fluxer uses no third-party analytics and [never trains AI models on your content](https://fluxer.com/help/tracking.md).

Fluxer's captcha is ALTCHA, a small proof-of-work puzzle that our own servers create and check, while Stoat [sends captcha answers to hCaptcha](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/database/src/util/captcha.rs#L16-L31) to check them. When someone posts a YouTube link, Fluxer shows a preview through our own proxy and loads YouTube only after you click play. Stoat's web app loads [players from sites such as YouTube, Twitch, Spotify, SoundCloud and Bandcamp](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-web/blob/a98f976c645203040fa1b022a46e4216d9fe035c/packages/client/components/ui/components/features/messaging/elements/SpecialEmbed.tsx#L53-L66) as soon as the message comes into view.

Fluxer's mobile apps send crash reports only if you turn on "Send crash and performance reports", which is off by default, and they go only to [servers we run](https://fluxer.com/privacy.md). Stoat's Android app starts its error reporting [every time it opens](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-android/blob/86154f01f7c9303338a1504345dbdf90dd9d9b92/app/src/main/java/chat/stoat/activities/MainActivity.kt#L393-L396), with no setting to turn it off, and its [Google Play data safety page](https://play.google.com/store/apps/datasafety?id=chat.revolt) lists crash logs and diagnostics without marking them optional.

Stoat keeps its data mainly with EU cloud providers. Fluxer is a Swedish company, and we're moving fluxer.com's stored data from [US hosting](https://fluxer.com/help/is-fluxer-hosted-in-europe.md) to [our own hardware in Sweden](https://fluxer.com/help/servers-in-sweden.md).

A government outside the EU can't enforce an order for data against Fluxer Platform AB without [going through Swedish authorities](https://fluxer.com/help/foreign-government-requests.md). Until the move, which has no date set yet, US authorities can also [send orders to our US hosting provider](https://fluxer.com/help/cloud-act.md).

Fluxer's [privacy policy](https://fluxer.com/privacy.md) says in section 7 how long we keep each kind of data, for example up to 30 days in encrypted backups after you delete a message and up to 90 days for security logs. [Stoat's privacy policy](https://stoat.chat/legal/privacy) describes your rights to get a copy of your data and to have it deleted, but it doesn't say how long Stoat keeps each kind of data.

Fluxer stores the IP address and device of each signed-in session on your account. This lets you see and sign out of your sessions, and it lets us ask for an email confirmation when an account without two-factor authentication signs in from a new IP address. Stoat keeps less here, because the [session records in its code](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/database/src/models/sessions/model.rs#L8-L34) don't include an IP address.

Fluxer saves only a hash of each sign-in token, and a copy of our database can't be used to sign in as you, while [Stoat stores the tokens themselves](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/database/src/models/sessions/model.rs#L16-L17).

When Fluxer's current Android app gets a notification through Google, the notification is [encrypted](https://fluxer.com/privacy.md), and Google can't see what it says. Stoat's server puts [the message text and the sender's name](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/daemons/pushd/src/consumers/outbound/fcm.rs#L84-L97) into the notifications it sends through Google's push service without encrypting them first, along with the channel and any image link.

End-to-end encryption for Fluxer calls is planned for 2026, and for DMs and group DMs with a stable release in 2027. [Nothing on Fluxer is end-to-end encrypted](https://fluxer.com/help/is-fluxer-end-to-end-encrypted.md) yet. Stoat isn't end-to-end encrypted either, and in September 2026 its team [opened an issue](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/issues/1009) to plan encryption based on MLS, with key management and the API still to be worked out.

## Is self-hosting easier with Fluxer or Stoat?

| | Fluxer | Stoat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Systems | [Linux, macOS or Windows, with Docker or rootless Podman](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [Docker Compose on a Linux server](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md#L147) |
| Machine to start with | [At least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB of memory, 20 GB of disk and a domain name](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/) | [2 vCPUs and 2 GB of memory, as a recommended start](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md#L57) |
| Install | [One command with rexctl](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [Clone a repository and run a config script](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md) |
| Upgrades | [One command, with a backup first by default and a rollback if the new release doesn't start](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [`git pull`, then rerun the config script](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md#L205-L231) |
| Scheduled upgrades | [Daily or weekly with a timer, and an optional monthly full backup](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [Not in its self-hosting guide](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md) |
| Backups and restores | [Built into rexctl](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [Not in its self-hosting guide](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md) |
| Admin panel | [Yes, with permissions for each admin](https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer/blob/684c09629e99a77e7abf99daa11a4da6a1d774cf/packages/constants/src/AdminACLs.ts) and [an audit log](https://github.com/fluxerapp/fluxer/blob/684c09629e99a77e7abf99daa11a4da6a1d774cf/fluxer_admin/src/templates/pages/audit_logs.rs) | [None](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/673#discussioncomment-17903159) |
| Admin commands | [Admins, users, invites and registration in rexctl](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [None, you edit the database with mongosh](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/Guides.md#L134-L151) |
| Invite-only registration | [One rexctl command, and the admin panel can also require approval or close sign-ups](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/rexctl/) | [Edit the config file and add codes to the database by hand](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/Guides.md#L134-L151) |
| Official apps that connect | [Desktop, Android and iOS, with iOS coming to the App Store in early November 2026 (TestFlight on hold for now)](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosting-fluxer.md) | [The web app only](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/README.md#L47) |
| Push notifications to the official mobile apps | [Through a push relay we run, if you and your users turn it on](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosted-instance-privacy.md) | [Only with your own builds of the apps and your own Apple and Google keys](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/config/Revolt.toml#L134-L154) |
| Voice and video | [LiveKit on 1 TCP and 1 UDP port, with more voice servers added through rexctl](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/voice-servers/) | [LiveKit on 1 TCP port and 101 UDP ports, on one voice server, and LiveKit uses 2 of those ports for each person in a call](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted/blob/9af5e9063a8d1311477b7d2f24f5764ffe3e1cd1/compose.yml#L193-L207) |
| Single sign-on | [OpenID Connect, for example with Authentik or Keycloak](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/sign-in/) | [Announced in February 2026, not released](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/discussions/507#discussioncomment-15710135) |
| Community discovery | [Works on your own instance](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/environment/#fluxer_discovery_enabled) | [Only works on stoat.chat](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/delta/src/routes/servers/discover/discover_add.rs#L11-L22) |
| Higher limits for your users | [Everyone gets Plutonium's features and limits by default](https://fluxer.com/help/is-self-hosting-free.md) | [The same limits as stoat.chat unless you edit the config](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/config/Revolt.toml#L238-L245) |
| Federation | [Planned, with a stable release in 2027](https://fluxer.com/blog/roadmap-2026.md) | [Not on its roadmap](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/docs/docs/faq.md#L45-L57) |

Both are free to self-host. Fluxer comes with an admin panel, where you manage users, communities, reports, bans, invites and the instance's settings and limits. You can give each admin only the permissions they need, and every action is recorded in an audit log.

Fluxer's setup tool rexctl also has commands for admins, users, invites and registration. It installs Fluxer with one command, backs it up by default before every upgrade, and can restore a backup or roll back an upgrade if something goes wrong.

Stoat has no admin panel or any admin commands for self-hosted instances. A Stoat developer [wrote on GitHub in August 2026](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/673#discussioncomment-17903159) that "we do not bundle administrative tools" and that any administration "must be done directly against the database."

Stoat's [self-hosting guide](https://github.com/stoatchat/self-hosted) uses Docker Compose and recommends starting with at least 2 vCPUs and 2 GB of memory, and you upgrade it by running `git pull` and then its config script again. Fluxer needs a machine with at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB of memory, 20 GB of free disk space and a domain name, as [our install guide](https://docs.fluxer.com/operator/) says.

The official Fluxer desktop and Android apps [connect to any instance](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosting-fluxer.md), including your own, and so does the iOS app. Its TestFlight beta is [on hold for now](https://fluxer.com/help/ios-testflight.md), following a technical issue at Apple, and we expect it to be [on the App Store](https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-app-store.md) in early November 2026.

A self-hosted Fluxer instance can also send push notifications to the official iOS and Android apps through a push relay we run, if its operator and the person using the app both turn it on. A self-hosted Stoat instance needs its own Apple and Google keys to send push notifications, and only to mobile apps that its operator builds itself.

Neither app is federated today. [Stoat's FAQ](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/docs/docs/faq.md#L45-L57) says federation isn't on its roadmap, while Fluxer plans [optional federation](https://fluxer.com/blog/roadmap-2026.md) with a stable release in 2027.

## What features does Fluxer have compared with Stoat?

Both apps have communities with text and voice channels, roles and permissions, custom emoji, bots and voice and video calls with screen sharing. Fluxer has [threads, forum channels and media channels](https://fluxer.com/help/threads-and-forums.md) in early beta for everyone. Stoat has one kind of channel in communities, a text channel that can also be used for voice, and its developers [wrote in May 2026](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/1479#discussioncomment-16797091) that threads are planned for the long term with no date.

By default, a Fluxer community can have up to 500 custom emoji and 500 stickers, while a Stoat server can have 100 custom emoji and Stoat has no stickers.

Fluxer's [message search](https://fluxer.com/help/messaging.md) can look through one channel, your DMs or all your communities at once, with filters for sender, mentions, channel, date, attachments and links. Stoat's search looks through one channel at a time, with a keyword query.

| Limit | Fluxer | Stoat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Message length | 2,000 characters, or 4,000 with Plutonium | 2,000 bytes, which is fewer characters in many languages |
| Files per message | 10 | 5 |
| Different reactions per message | 30 | 20 |
| Channels and roles per community | 500 channels and 250 roles | 200 channels and 200 roles |

Moderators on Fluxer can ban someone for a set time, from a minute to two years, and a ban also stops the person from coming back with the same email address or from the same IP address. On Stoat, bans [have no end date](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/models/src/v0/server_bans.rs#L7-L25) and apply to the banned account. An IP address ban on Fluxer can also block other people who share that IP address.

Both apps have [an audit log](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/delta/src/routes/servers/audit_log_query.rs), [timeouts](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/models/src/v0/server_members.rs#L71) and [slowmode](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/models/src/v0/channels.rs#L116-L118). Fluxer communities can also set a [verification level](https://fluxer.com/help/onboarding-and-auto-roles.md) for newcomers and make moderators use two-factor authentication.

When you [report something on Fluxer](https://fluxer.com/help/report.md), we tell you what we decided about the content, and when we act on your account, we [send you the reasons and how to appeal](https://fluxer.com/help/moderation.md). Stoat's [support site](https://support.stoat.chat/kb/safety/common-scams) says it doesn't tell people the outcome of their reports.

fluxer.com runs voice servers in [16 regions on six continents](https://fluxer.com/help/hosting.md). Each call uses the region closest to the first person who joins it, unless the voice channel is set to a specific region. [Stoat's API](https://api.stoat.chat/) listed one voice server, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 2, 2026, and calls on stoat.chat go through Finland wherever the people in them are.

| Voice region | Fluxer | Stoat |
| --- | :---: | :---: |
| Atlanta, USA | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dallas, USA | ✓ | ✗ |
| Frankfurt, Germany | ✓ | ✗ |
| Helsinki, Finland | ✗ | ✓ |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Los Angeles, USA | ✓ | ✗ |
| Madrid, Spain | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mumbai, India | ✓ | ✗ |
| Newark, USA | ✓ | ✗ |
| Santiago, Chile | ✓ | ✗ |
| São Paulo, Brazil | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seattle, USA | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seoul, South Korea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Singapore, Singapore | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stockholm, Sweden | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sydney, Australia | ✓ | ✗ |
| Warsaw, Poland | ✓ | ✗ |

Fluxer's [peer-to-peer calls](https://fluxer.com/help/peer-to-peer-calls.md) are an early preview that is turned on in some countries. In them, anyone can stream at up to 4K and 60 fps for free, and the other people in the call can see your IP address. On iOS, you can't share your screen in a peer-to-peer call yet.

Fluxer has [push-to-talk](https://fluxer.com/help/keybinds.md), and in the desktop app it keeps working while you use another app. We found no push-to-talk in Stoat's web, desktop or Android code, and [its keybind settings](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-web/blob/a98f976c645203040fa1b022a46e4216d9fe035c/packages/client/components/state/stores/Keybinds.ts) are turned off in its code as of late October 2026. Fluxer voice channels have a bitrate setting, and the desktop app can share the audio of a single app with your screen.

Fluxer's API is compatible with large parts of Discord's, and you can [import a Discord server template](https://fluxer.com/help/import-discord-server-template.md) to bring over your channels, your roles and the permissions of each role. A tool that posts to a Discord webhook often works on Fluxer as soon as you [swap in the Fluxer webhook URL](https://fluxer.com/help/discord-bots-on-fluxer.md), and Fluxer webhooks also accept Slack's and GitHub's formats. Stoat webhooks take [Stoat's own message format](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/delta/src/routes/webhooks/webhook_execute.rs#L16-L23) and GitHub's.

On Fluxer, a developer account can make up to 25 apps, and each can use OAuth2 sign-in. On Stoat, each account can have up to 5 bots, and there's no OAuth2 sign-in.

## How do the Fluxer and Stoat apps compare?

Both have a web app and desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, and we expect Fluxer's iOS app [on the App Store](https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-app-store.md) in early November 2026. Its Android app is in the Google Play beta, with a UnifiedPush build for phones without Google Play services. You can also install Fluxer's Android app [without Google Play](https://fluxer.com/help/f-droid.md), from our download page or with Obtainium. Stoat doesn't offer a UnifiedPush build of its Android app.

Stoat's [download page](https://stoat.chat/download) offers its Android app only as early access on Google Play and tells people on an iPhone to add the web app to their home screen. Fluxer's Android and iOS apps are [open source](https://fluxer.com/help/open-source.md) Flutter apps. Stoat's [Android app](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-android) is open source too, and its [iOS download page](https://stoat.chat/download/ios) says a native iOS app is in the works as of November 2026.

We sign the Fluxer app for macOS with our Apple Developer ID, and [Apple notarizes it](https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-on-mac.md). Stoat's macOS app [isn't notarized](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-desktop/blob/d60808092a06fe51243b4878cb55284128211359/forge.config.ts), and its [download page](https://stoat.chat/download) explains how to open it anyway if macOS says the app is damaged, including a command to run in Terminal.

## Is Fluxer as stable as Stoat?

Both struggled when many people joined. Stoat said in its [500,000 users post](https://stoat.chat/updates/500k-users) in October 2024 that things might be a little slow after a rush of new users. In February 2026, [TechRadar reported](https://www.techradar.com/computing/social-media/so-many-discord-users-are-flocking-to-this-alternative-platform-its-making-stoat-crash) that Stoat was struggling with traffic from people leaving Discord, and a Stoat developer [wrote in April 2026](https://github.com/orgs/stoatchat/discussions/1457#discussioncomment-16535750) that video was turned off and disconnects happened because its infrastructure "hasn't been able to keep up with the surge in users."

fluxer.com [had outages in February 2026](https://fluxer.com/help/stability.md), when more than 100,000 accounts were created in 16 days and it still ran on a single server. Our [stability page](https://fluxer.com/help/stability.md) says fluxer.com has been stable for months, and short disruptions still happen sometimes during denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on our network or problems with our hosting.

Fluxer has [no uptime guarantee](https://fluxer.com/help/stability.md). You can check the current status of fluxer.com at [fluxerstatus.com](https://fluxerstatus.com) and the status of stoat.chat at [stoatstatus.com](https://stoatstatus.com).

## Where is Stoat ahead of Fluxer?

Stoat has run a public service since 2021, about five years longer than fluxer.com, and its blog says it [passed a million registered users](https://stoat.chat/updates/celebrating-one-million) in March 2026.

Stoat has no paid plan today, and its data is stored mainly in the EU, while fluxer.com's stays in the United States until [our move to Sweden](https://fluxer.com/help/servers-in-sweden.md). Stoat needs less memory to self-host, with 2 GB to start, while Fluxer needs at least 4 GB. Stoat also [keeps uploaded files](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/tree/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/daemons/crond/src/tasks) until they're deleted, while fluxer.com [removes large files sooner than small ones](https://fluxer.com/help/why-do-attachments-expire.md).

When you delete your Stoat account, [Stoat also deletes your messages](https://github.com/stoatchat/stoatchat/blob/18b656465888d1cf08773eae33d4fbc85a29a4df/crates/core/database/src/models/users/model.rs#L878-L897) after a week. On Fluxer, your messages stay and show "Deleted User" as the author, unless you run ["Delete my messages"](https://fluxer.com/help/auto-delete-messages.md) before you delete your account. On Stoat, a message can also reply to up to 5 other messages at once, while a Fluxer message replies to one.

## How do I try Fluxer?

You can [download Fluxer](https://fluxer.com/download) or open [fluxer.com](https://fluxer.com/app) in your browser and make a free account. If you want to run it yourself, start with [self-hosting Fluxer](https://fluxer.com/help/self-hosting-fluxer.md). When your community is also on Discord, [moving a community from Discord](https://fluxer.com/help/move-from-discord.md) explains what comes over.

## Sources

[^stoat-imprint]: [Stoat imprint](https://stoat.chat/legal/imprint), Revolt Platforms Ltd, accessed 2026-11-02.

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Canonical page: https://fluxer.com/help/fluxer-vs-stoat

Last updated on November 1, 2026