The private Discord alternative, encrypted by default

Cloak is a privacy-first Discord alternative with the features you actually want. Create or join encrypted chat rooms with text and voice channels, set up roles and permissions, react to messages, share files, hop on encrypted video calls with background effects, and customize your experience with themes and appearance settings. All protected by end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture, making it the secure messaging app for people who refuse to compromise.

Unlike Discord or other mainstream chat apps, Cloak uses the Signal Protocol for key exchange and AES-256-GCM to encrypt every message on your device before it reaches the network. The server only ever sees ciphertext, never plaintext. Voice and video calls are also end-to-end encrypted using WebRTC Insertable Streams. Your encryption keys are stored locally on your device, so even we cannot read your messages, files, or calls. This zero-knowledge architecture is what makes Cloak a truly private chat app.

Cloak is available as a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a web app at app.cloak.chat. Mobile apps are on the roadmap. Desktop and web app users can subscribe and manage their plan right in the app; this website handles the same thing for anyone on a phone.

Rooms are encrypted spaces with text and voice channels, just like servers on other platforms. You can create roles with 30+ granular permissions, upload custom emoji, generate invite links with optional expiration, view audit logs, and set AFK timeouts. Room owners can cycle encryption keys at any time. Free users can join up to 2 rooms, while paid tiers support 20–200 rooms.

Voice channels have no strict limit on participants and all voice and video is end-to-end encrypted. Free users can video chat and screen share using peer-to-peer (P2P) connections. Note that P2P exposes your IP address to other participants. Paid tiers can choose between Server Relay (SFU) or P2P for video and screen sharing, and unlock SFU stream viewing: Basic supports 1 1080p 60FPS stream or 4 720p 30FPS streams, Plus supports 2 or 10, and Pro supports 5 or 22. Paid users can also use P2P to share video with free-tier friends.

Cloak offers four tiers: a Free plan with up to 2 rooms, 1GB encrypted vault storage, P2P video and screen sharing, and core privacy features; a Basic plan at $6.99/month with 20 rooms, 10GB storage, and Server Relay or P2P streaming; a Plus plan at $14.99/month with 100 rooms, 25GB storage, and expanded streaming; and a Pro plan at $29.99/month with 200 rooms, 100GB storage, and the most streaming capacity. Every plan uses the same end-to-end encryption.

Cloak offers two upload modes. Public uploads go to an unencrypted CDN as direct links (10MB limit, all tiers), great for non-sensitive content. Private uploads are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before upload and stored in your encrypted vault with tier-based limits: Free gets 1GB with 10MB files, Basic gets 10GB with 50MB, Plus gets 25GB with 200MB, and Pro gets 100GB with 500MB. The vault lets you browse every private file you’ve shared, manage per-file sharing permissions for specific users or rooms, revoke access, and download or delete files from one place.

Paid users (Basic, Plus, and Pro) can choose if and how long their direct messages persist. All messages are stored as encrypted data that can only be decrypted on authorized devices. The server never has access to plaintext.

Try Cloak right now at app.cloak.chat or download the app for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Create your account in the app, start with the free tier, and upgrade to Basic, Plus, or Pro anytime for expanded storage, streaming, and more rooms. If you’re looking for a private Discord alternative or a Signal alternative with more features, Cloak is the place to start.