The private Discord alternative, encrypted by default

Cloak is a privacy-first Discord alternative with servers, roles, text and voice channels, video calls, forums, calendars, whiteboards, polls, and file sharing. Ordinary chats, calls, and private uploads use end-to-end encryption. Public sharing and service integrations have different privacy boundaries, explained in our Privacy Policy.

Ordinary chat message bodies are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM, with conversation keys shared using X25519-based HPKE. Calls and private file uploads also use end-to-end encryption. Account and routing metadata remain visible to the service, as do public uploads, submitted reports, webhook/flow-bot content, and temporary Discord import archives. Our Security page explains key backups, initial identity trust, and the limits of shared server keys.

Cloak is available as a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, a web app at app.cloak.chat, an Android app on Google Play, and an iOS app on the App Store, with a multi-pane layout on tablets and iPad. Desktop and web app users can subscribe and manage their plan right in the app; this website and the mobile apps handle the same thing everywhere else.

Six kinds. Text channels for everyday chat, voice channels for calls and screen sharing, forum channels for long-form threaded posts, calendar channels for events with RSVPs and reminders, whiteboard channels with a shared infinite canvas you draw on together in real time, and ticket channels that give your community a built-in help desk with topics and a staff queue. Text channels also support threads: spin one off any message and it opens beside the channel, so the main conversation keeps flowing. Ordinary message bodies use server-key encryption; channel permissions and routing metadata are handled by the service.

Yes. Start a thread from any message in a text channel, or create one standalone. Threads open in a panel next to the channel with their own composer, so the main chat stays live while the side conversation happens. They support everything a channel does: replies, reactions, attachments, pins, and polls, with thread titles encrypted end to end. Threads can be pinned, locked, or made private and invite-only, unread and mention badges roll up to the parent channel, and quiet threads archive themselves after a window you choose. Private threads use server-enforced delivery permissions within the shared server-key boundary, not separate encryption keys.

Yes, and it works without reading anyone’s messages. Because content is end-to-end encrypted, Cloak’s AutoMod watches behavior instead: message bursts, mention storms, attachment floods, embed spam, and poll spam. You set thresholds and time windows, choose whether a rule alerts your moderators or blocks the sender, exempt trusted roles or channels, and review every incident in a queue. You also get the classics: kick, ban, timeout, an audit log, and granular role permissions.

Yes, both. The importer rebuilds your server’s structure: channels, categories, roles, permissions, custom emoji, and the server icon. Then it brings the history: messages, threads, forum posts, pins, reactions, and attachments, up to 250,000 messages and 50GB of attachments per import depending on your plan. The import service first receives readable Discord history and stages it in private object storage; that archive is accessible to the service and expires after 30 days for periodic cleanup. Your client encrypts message bodies as it writes them into Cloak history. You can re-run the import later to sync new content. Members are not imported; you invite them in.

Each Discord author’s messages arrive under their original display name. When a member joins your Cloak server, they can verify their Discord account once, a sign-in that shares nothing but their Discord user ID, and every message they ever wrote is linked to their Cloak profile, across every imported server, including ones imported later. Claiming is entirely optional, grants no extra access, and can be undone at any time.

Servers are encrypted spaces with text and voice channels, just like on other platforms. You can create roles with granular, per-channel permissions, upload custom emoji, generate invite links with optional expiration, view audit logs, and set AFK timeouts. Server owners can cycle encryption keys at any time. Free users can join up to 50 servers, while paid tiers support 100 to 200 servers.

Voice channels have no strict limit on participants and all voice and video is end-to-end encrypted on every plan. Every frame is encrypted on your device before it is sent, the relay never holds a key, and your IP address is never exposed to the other people in the call. Free users can turn on their camera or share their screen at 720p30, one at a time, in channels of up to 10 people, and can watch streams at up to 720p30. Paid tiers can run camera and screen share together with screen share up to 1080p60, and watch streams at up to 1080p60. One to one calls always allow camera and screen at the same time. Screen sharing is available on desktop and web, and the desktop app captures audio from just the app you are sharing, streamed in stereo at music quality, so your game or video comes through clean without your notifications, other apps, or mic bleed coming with it.

Cloak offers three tiers: a Free plan with up to 50 servers, 1GB encrypted vault storage, 720p30 video and screen sharing, and core privacy features; a Basic plan at $6.99/month with 100 servers, 10GB storage, one server boost included, and camera plus screen share together at up to 1080p60; and a Pro plan at $14.99/month with 200 servers, 100GB storage, two server boosts included, and the biggest uploads Cloak offers. Every plan uses the same end-to-end encryption.

Cloak has two deliberate upload modes. Public uploads are for shareable media such as memes and reels. They use HTTPS and public CDN links without end-to-end encryption, with limits of 10MB on Free, 20MB on Basic, and 100MB on Pro. Anyone with the link can access the file. Private uploads are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before HTTPS upload to your vault: Free gets 1GB with 10MB files, Basic gets 10GB with 50MB files, and Pro gets 100GB with 500MB files. You can manage sharing and revoke future access, but cannot erase copies someone already downloaded.

Messages persist until you delete them or their configured expiry timer removes them. Every plan supports expiry timers for direct messages and channels. Ordinary chat message bodies are stored as ciphertext; incoming webhook and server-hosted flow-bot content are service-readable exceptions. Recipients may retain copies they have already received.

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 or Pro anytime for expanded storage, streaming, and more servers.

Account setup generates a random 32-character recovery secret separate from your login password. Cloak stores encrypted key backups, including encrypted recovery-secret material, rather than plaintext recovery keys. Keep the secret safe or link from an existing device. If you lose the secret and every device holding your keys, we cannot recover your encrypted history. Resetting your login password does not restore those keys.

Google Analytics runs only on the cloak.chat marketing website, including website account pages. It does not run in the desktop or mobile apps or the web chat app at app.cloak.chat. The apps send separate first-party telemetry to Cloak, including installation and session identifiers, feature events, and performance information. This is pseudonymous, not fully anonymous, and can be disabled in each device’s privacy settings. Message bodies and encryption keys are not included.

No. Cloak uses HTTP/3 WebTransport over QUIC/TLS 1.3 where supported, secure WebSockets for other real-time connections including mobile, HTTPS for APIs, uploads, and the marketing website, and WebRTC for calls. Ordinary messages and private files are encrypted on the client independently of the transport.