What is Session used for?

Session is a desktop client for Session, a decentralized private messenger that routes messages through onion-routed service nodes. It is a good fit for private chats without a central account server and messaging where IP privacy matters.

Is Session open source?

Yes. Session is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at session-foundation/session-desktop and is written mainly in TypeScript.

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

Can I self-host Session?

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

What is Session an alternative to?

Session is an open-source alternative to Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber. Other open-source alternatives to Signal include SimpleX Chat.

Is Session actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Session was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.18.1, published on 10 July 2026. The project has 585 stars on GitHub.

Session: open-source alternative to Signal, WhatsApp

About Session

Session Desktop is the desktop application for Session, a private messenger that is decentralized and uses onion routing. It connects to Oxen Service Nodes, a set of distributed, Sybil-resistant servers. Some of these nodes store messages while a recipient is offline, and others provide onion routing that hides users' IP addresses.

Releases are signed, and the README walks through verifying them by checking a GPG signature on the published hashes and then comparing the hash of the downloaded file. The project also lists supported platforms and system requirements, accepts pull requests on a development branch, and invites volunteers to help with translations. Build instructions are in the contributing guide.

The client is written in TypeScript and licensed under GPL-3.0. It is distributed from getsession.org and maintained under the Session Foundation. The README points to the Session whitepaper for a full explanation of how the system works.

Key features

Decentralized messaging over service nodes
Onion routing that hides IP addresses
Offline message storage on the network
GPG-signed releases with hash verification
Desktop client written in TypeScript

Good fit for

→Private chats without a central account server
→Messaging where IP privacy matters

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: messenger; privacy; decentralized; onion-routing; desktop-app; typescript; encrypted-chat

Session: questions and answers

What is Session used for?: Session is a desktop client for Session, a decentralized private messenger that routes messages through onion-routed service nodes. It is a good fit for private chats without a central account server and messaging where IP privacy matters.
Is Session open source?: Yes. Session is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at session-foundation/session-desktop and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Session free?: Yes. Session is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Session?: Yes. Session can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Session an alternative to?: Session is an open-source alternative to Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber. Other open-source alternatives to Signal include SimpleX Chat.
Is Session actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Session was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.18.1, published on 10 July 2026. The project has 585 stars on GitHub.