How to select a chatmail servers?

Chatmail servers are each operated by different groups and people. Visit a chatmail server link and then tap the QR invite code there to create a chatmail address from your favorite chatmail app:

• nine.testrun.org is the default onboarding server for many chatmail apps

• mehl.cloud is geared towards German speaking users

• mailchat.pl is geared towards Polish speaking users

• chatmail.woodpeckersnet.space is geared towards Italian speaking users

• chika.aangat.lahat.computer operates in the US

• tarpit.fun is hosted in Austria

Several additional chatmail servers are not listed publically because some countries used the list in July 2024 as a block list, and also because some operators prefer to do their own outreach to communities of their choice. Private or public, chatmail servers are always interoperable with each other. Welcome to decentralized messaging :)

How about interoperability with classic e-mail servers?

Generally, chatmail servers interoperate well with classic e-mail servers. However, some chatmail servers may be blocked by Big-Tech e-mail providers that use intransparent and proprietary techniques for scanning and looking at cleartext e-mail messages between users, or because they use questionable IP-reputation systems that break interoperability. Chatmail servers instead use and require strong cryptography, allowing anyone to participate, without having to cater to Big-Tech restrictions.

How are chatmail servers run? Can I run one myself?

Chatmail servers are designed to be very cheap to run, and are generally self-funded by respective operators. All chatmail servers are automatically deployed and updated using the chatmail development repository. Chatmail servers are composed of proven standard e-mail server components, Postfix and Dovecot, and are configured to run unattended without much maintenance effort. Chatmail servers happily run on low-end hardware like a Raspberry Pi.

How trustable are chatmail servers?

Chatmail clients use guaranteed end-to-end encryption which means that server operators can never read your messages even if they try (MITM), a guarantee backed up by a recent security analysis from ETH Zurich. The end-to-end encryption protection includes attached media, user display names, avatars and group names. What is visible to operators is: message date, sender and receiver addresses.