Armada offers an encrypted, open-source Discord alternative built on Nostr

A Discord-style workspace in open beta

Soapbox Technology has made Armada available in open beta. The app provides communities, channels, threads, direct messages, roles, moderation, and voice and video calls. Users can also add custom themes, emoji packs, and GIFs. Armada currently runs on the web, Android, macOS, Linux, and Windows. A dedicated iOS app is not available yet, although the web version works on iPhone.

Encrypted communities without email accounts

According to the project, every community is end-to-end encrypted. Messages are locked on the device before they are sent, preventing relays and internet providers from reading their contents. Accounts use a cryptographic key rather than an email address or phone number. Community owners can moderate their own spaces, but there is no central company account that can erase a user's identity or remove a community from all of its relays at once.

Nostr protocols and self-hosting

Armada is built on Nostr and supports the Concord, NIP-29, and Buzz community formats. One key can sign a user into other compatible Nostr apps. Communities are distributed across multiple public relays, while operators may self-host the web client, a message relay, and a LiveKit server for calls. A two-way Discord bridge and server import are also available, allowing communities to move gradually rather than all at once.

Armada is free, has no advertising or paid tier, and its source code is distributed under the AGPL-3.0 license. The project remains in open beta ahead of v1.0, so its developers warn users to expect occasional rough edges. Communities, encrypted direct messages, and voice and video calls are already operational.