Snikket: Simple Self-Hosted Messaging for Small Groups
Snikket packages XMPP messaging into something a household or small group can actually deploy and use.
What makes it different from running XMPP yourself
XMPP has been capable of encrypted group messaging for years, and remains notoriously awkward to set up: a server, several extension modules, TLS certificates, media hosting, and clients that support the right feature set. Snikket bundles all of it into one deployment with sane defaults, and adds the missing piece, an invitation flow where you send someone a link and they are set up in a couple of taps.
Features
End-to-end encrypted one-to-one and group chat, voice and video calls, media and file sharing, and its own Android and iOS apps built on established XMPP clients.
Who it suits
Families and small groups who want messaging that does not run through a commercial platform, without administering a chat server as a hobby. It is deliberately not built for large communities.
Alternatives
Matrix with Synapse is more federated and more capable, with substantially more operational overhead. SimpleX Chat takes a different approach with no persistent user identifiers.