Open-Source DevOps · Sharkord

sharkord

Sharkord is a self-hosted, open-source chat server offering voice, video, text, and screen sharing for small groups who want privacy and data control. Built in TypeScript with WebRTC and Mediasoup, it runs as a standalone binary or Docker container and is currently in alpha stage.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/Sharkord/sharkord

1.4k

GitHub stars

126

Forks

TypeScript

Primary language

MIT

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	Sharkord/sharkord
Owner	Sharkord
Primary language	TypeScript
License	MIT — OSI-approved
Stars	1.4k
Forks	126
Open issues	54
Latest release	v0.0.22 (2026-05-22)
Last updated	2026-07-06
Source	https://github.com/Sharkord/sharkord

What sharkord is

Lightweight real-time communication platform written in TypeScript, using Bun runtime, Mediasoup for media orchestration, tRPC for RPC, Drizzle ORM for persistence, and React frontend. Supports WebRTC-based voice/video and screen sharing with self-contained deployment model.

Quickstart

Get the sharkord source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/Sharkord/sharkord.git2cd sharkord3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Small Team / Community Collaboration

Ideal for internal team comms, small communities, or hobby groups needing real-time chat, voice, and video without relying on third-party SaaS. Self-hosting ensures full data ownership and eliminates recurring licensing costs.

Privacy-Sensitive Organizations

Suitable for groups handling sensitive information (medical, legal, NGOs) that require on-premises deployment, encrypted transport, and transparent audit logs. MIT license supports commercial use with minimal restrictions.

Customizable Internal Communication Hub

Deployable as a private communication backbone for enterprises wanting to replace or supplement Discord/Slack for internal use. Full source control enables rapid feature customization and integration with existing infrastructure.

Implementation considerations

Alpha status: expect iterative deployment, breaking schema/API changes, and the need to monitor releases closely. Plan for downtime windows and have a rollback strategy.
Network requirements: WebRTC demands UDP 40000 and TCP 4991 open; firewall/NAT traversal setup is critical and may require STUN/TURN configuration for remote users.
Data persistence: uses Drizzle ORM (likely SQLite by default); verify backup/restore procedures and database migration strategy before production use.
Runtime dependency: Bun (v1.3.14+) is the execution runtime; ensure your infrastructure supports it and has adequate update/patch cadence.
TLS/HTTPS: self-hosting requires you to provision and manage SSL certificates; no built-in cert management mentioned—plan for reverse proxy (nginx/caddy) setup.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Requires Production-Grade Reliability — Project is in alpha (v0.0.22). Bugs, incomplete features, and breaking changes are explicitly expected. Do not deploy to mission-critical systems without thorough testing and fallback plans.
Need Established Community / Third-Party Integrations — With ~1.4k stars and 54 open issues, ecosystem is nascent. Few documented integrations, limited plugin marketplace, and smaller community compared to mature alternatives. Risk of feature gaps or delays.
Unfamiliar with Self-Hosting & Operations — Requires ability to deploy, manage, and patch your own infrastructure (Linux/Docker, network config, TLS, backups). No managed hosting option. Operational overhead not suitable for teams lacking DevOps capability.
Large-Scale Deployments (100+ Concurrent Users) — Unknown scalability profile and performance benchmarks. Bun + Mediasoup stack is lightweight but unproven at enterprise scale. No published load testing or clustering documentation.

License & commercial use

MIT License. Permissive OSI license allowing commercial use, modification, and redistribution with attribution. No patent, trademark, or proprietary restrictions noted. Full license terms in LICENSE file.

MIT License permits commercial deployment (internal or resale), derivative work, and closed-source forks. No royalties or commercial restrictions. However, you must include a copy of the MIT license and original copyright notice. Verify with legal if offering as managed service; no support SLA or warranty implied by OSS license.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Moderate
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	Medium

Security considerations

No third-party security audits, vulnerability disclosures, or threat model documented in provided data. Alpha software carries inherent risk. Notes mention secure token generation on first launch (mark as admin-only), but no detail on transport encryption, message encryption at rest, auth mechanisms, or input validation. Self-hosting shifts security responsibility to operator (firewall, updates, backups). Requires review of source code and deployment hardening before sensitive-data use.

Alternatives to consider

Mattermost

Mature, production-ready self-hosted chat with voice/video, LDAP/SSO, thousands of integrations, strong docs. Higher resource footprint but battle-tested at scale.

Jitsi Meet + Nextcloud Talk

Separate video/messaging stack; Jitsi is lightweight and audio/video-focused, Nextcloud handles storage/auth. More modular but requires dual deployment; different UX paradigm.

Rocket.Chat

Feature-parity with Discord-like chat, self-hosted, strong community. Heavier (Node.js/MongoDB), but mature ecosystem and plugin system. More enterprise-ready than Sharkord.

Software development agency

Build on sharkord with DEV.co software developers

Sharkord offers privacy, control, and simplicity. Explore deployment options, review the roadmap, and assess alpha-stage risks with Devco's cloud and custom software experts.

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sharkord FAQ

Can we migrate from Discord or Slack to Sharkord?

Unknown. No documented import tools or data migration guides provided. You would likely need custom tooling or manual setup. Contact project or file a GitHub issue to request this feature.

What happens if we lose the initial admin token?

README warns the token allows ANYONE to become owner. If lost, you must securely store a backup or risk lockout. No recovery procedure documented. Store it in a secrets vault.

Does Sharkord support encrypted messages or calls?

Not explicitly stated in provided data. WebRTC transport is inherently TLS-protected, but message encryption at rest and end-to-end encryption status are unknown. Requires source review or documentation check.

Can we run Sharkord on Kubernetes or behind a load balancer?

Unclear. No Kubernetes manifests, scaling documentation, or stateless/stateful guidance provided. Single-instance Docker deployment is documented; multi-node setups require custom research.

Software development & web development with DEV.co

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like sharkord. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source devops and beyond.

Ready to Self-Host Secure Team Communication?

Sharkord offers privacy, control, and simplicity. Explore deployment options, review the roadmap, and assess alpha-stage risks with Devco's cloud and custom software experts.

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