Sigil, by Hyperion Labs
Instant messaging,
as it should have stayed.
Sigil is the instant messenger of the early 2000s, rebuilt on the Signal Protocol: the people you know on a contact list, and a server in your own hands. The license is similar to WinRAR's. Pay once and own it forever, or never pay at all.
Free for five accounts. No registration with Hyperion Labs, no trial period.
Use it first. Pay when you can.
Five accounts are free, with every feature and no time limit. Past five, Sigil asks for a license, bought once and kept for good, and the window shown here is all the asking it ever does. It appears at sign-in a few times a day at most, and its Close button works every time, for as long as anyone cares to press it.
A license retires the reminder for good.
Server noticeFour decisions that do not change.
Sigil keeps what the old messengers got right and replaces what made them unsafe.
Sealed before it leaves the device
Every message and file is encrypted on the sender's device with the Signal Protocol, built on libsodium. The server relays sealed data and never holds the keys that open it.
Hosted by you
The server runs on hardware you control: a machine at home or a small VPS. Accounts and contact lists live there, and messages pass through it sealed.
Yours to keep
Free for five accounts, with every feature. Past five, a one-time license is requested and never enforced, and there is no subscription behind it.
For people who know each other
Families, friends, clubs and organizations. Accounts exist only on your server, and you decide who may join: by invitation, by approval, or both.
Three steps to your own server.
No account with Hyperion Labs, at any step.
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Step 1 of 3
Install the server
Packages for Linux, FreeBSD and Windows, and a Docker image. The installer registers the service, and the first administrator is created in the browser.
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Step 2 of 3
Admit your people
Open registration by invitation, by approval, or both. Members install the desktop client and enter your server's address.
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Step 3 of 3
Talk
One-to-one and group conversations, files and photos, presence, receipts, reactions and replies. All of it sealed end to end.
Security, item by item.
The server is a relay. It forwards sealed messages and never has the keys that open them.
Free for five. Past five, Sigil asks.
Nothing is held back for a higher price. The editions differ in the number of accounts, and in whether the server is used for work.
For yourself, family and communities
Non-commercial use: individuals, families, clubs, associations, schools and libraries. Prices include VAT.
For work
Companies, the self-employed and public administration.
| Edition | Intended for | Accounts | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | A small team, or trying it out | Up to 5 | €0 no time limit | Download soon |
| Business | Teams and companies | 6 to 100 | €40 per account, once, plus VAT | Pricing |
| Enterprise | Larger organizations: invoice, purchase order, DPA, optional support contract | More than 100 | Quoted perpetual | Request a quote |
- Requested, never enforced. Over the limit, members see a reminder and every feature keeps working.
- Paid once. A license is verified offline and does not expire.
What version 1.0 does, and what comes next.
One-to-one and group messaging, files and photos, presence, typing indicators, read receipts, reactions and replies, disappearing messages, message search and contact verification. Desktop clients for Windows, Linux and FreeBSD.
Voice and video calls, mobile apps, and linking more than one device to an account. Version 1.0 has no macOS client.
Questions.
Is the free edition limited in time or features?
No. Five accounts may use every feature of Sigil for as long as they like. There is no trial period.
What happens past five accounts without a license?
Members see the reminder shown above, a few times a day at most, and close it. Paying is a choice.
Is there a recurring fee?
No. A license is bought once and does not expire, and updates within version 1 are included.
Sigil is closed source. How can its encryption be trusted?
The protocol and the security model are documented in full and included with every download. The cryptography is the Signal Protocol, implemented on libsodium. An independent audit is planned.
What happens if development stops?
Nothing changes for an installed server. The About page says why.
A messenger that is yours again.
Free for five accounts. No registration with Hyperion Labs, no trial period. Server and client for Windows, Linux and FreeBSD.