What is Nheko used for?

Nheko is a native desktop Matrix client built with Qt and C++20 that aims to feel like a mainstream chat app rather than an IRC client. It is a good fit for everyday Matrix chat on a desktop and users who prefer a native app over a browser client.

Is Nheko open source?

Yes. Nheko is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Nheko-Reborn/nheko and is written mainly in C++.

Yes. Nheko is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Nheko?

Yes. Nheko can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Nheko an alternative to?

Nheko is an open-source alternative to Slack and Discord. Other open-source alternatives to Slack include Cinny, Element Android and Cabal Desktop.

Is Nheko actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Nheko was on 11 September 2026, and the latest release is v0.12.1, published on 10 August 2025. The project has 2.5k stars on GitHub.

Nheko: open-source alternative to Slack, Discord

About Nheko

Nheko is a desktop client for Matrix, written with Qt and C++20. The project was started to provide a native app that feels more like mainstream chat applications such as Element and Telegram, and less like an IRC client. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows and is licensed under GPL-3.0.

Supported features include end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls (with support varying by platform), user registration, creating, joining and leaving rooms, invites, file and emoji sharing with inline previews, custom stickers and emoji, replies, typing notifications, username auto-completion, notifications, message redaction, read receipts, presence and status messages, basic communities, a quick room switcher with Ctrl-K, and light, dark and system themes. A D-Bus API is available on Linux for plugins.

The README cautions that the encryption implementation is mostly stable but has never been audited, so people relying on it for security get no guarantee. Releases are provided as a Flatpak for Linux, a disk image for macOS and an MSIX or appinstaller for Windows, and translations are crowdsourced. Separate profiles can be created from the command line.

Key features

Native desktop Matrix client in Qt
End-to-end encryption
Voice and video calls
Custom stickers and emoji
Room switcher with keyboard shortcut
Light, dark and system themes
D-Bus API for plugins on Linux

Good fit for

→Everyday Matrix chat on a desktop
→Users who prefer a native app over a browser client

Built with: C++
Tags: matrix; chat; desktop; qt; cpp; end-to-end-encryption; messenger; linux

Nheko: questions and answers

What is Nheko used for?: Nheko is a native desktop Matrix client built with Qt and C++20 that aims to feel like a mainstream chat app rather than an IRC client. It is a good fit for everyday Matrix chat on a desktop and users who prefer a native app over a browser client.
Is Nheko open source?: Yes. Nheko is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Nheko-Reborn/nheko and is written mainly in C++.
Is Nheko free?: Yes. Nheko is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Nheko?: Yes. Nheko can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Nheko an alternative to?: Nheko is an open-source alternative to Slack and Discord. Other open-source alternatives to Slack include Cinny, Element Android and Cabal Desktop.
Is Nheko actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Nheko was on 11 September 2026, and the latest release is v0.12.1, published on 10 August 2025. The project has 2.5k stars on GitHub.