Tox

Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging with audio and video chat, no central servers

About Tox

Tox is a free, open-source peer-to-peer messenger for secure communication. It provides encrypted text messaging, voice and video calls and file sharing over a distributed network with no central servers, so there is no company that can read conversations, sell data or shut the service down. Multiple clients exist for desktop and mobile platforms. Tox is built for privacy-conscious users who want Skype-like communication where encryption is automatic and their identity is not tied to a phone number.

Tox website preview

Live preview of tox.chat via the WordPress mShots service — it can take a few seconds to generate on a first visit.

Tox: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers messaging, peer to peer, encryption, privacy — see the focus areas listed in its key facts.
Has 6 close alternatives in the same category on this page, so switching or comparing is easy.

Things to check

Free tools can change their model or shut down — avoid locking critical work into it without an export path.
Current plan prices are not listed here (they change too often to print reliably) — confirm the exact price on the official site.
It is one of 565 tools in the Communication & Collaboration category here — compare it against the alternatives below before you commit.

Derived from this listing's own data (pricing model, focus areas and category) — not a hands-on review score.

Tox pricing

Pricing model	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Free access	Yes — fully free
Current plan prices	Listed on the official site — prices change, so this directory links out instead of printing a number that may already be stale.
Official site	tox.chat

Tox key facts

Category: Communication & Collaboration
Pricing: Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas: messaging, peer to peer, encryption, privacy
Official site: tox.chat

Tox FAQ

How much does Tox cost?

Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it. Current plans and prices are listed on the official site (tox.chat).

What is Tox used for?

Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging with audio and video chat, no central servers Its focus areas in the Communication & Collaboration category: messaging, peer to peer, encryption, privacy.

Where can I try Tox?

On its official site, tox.chat — the Visit Official Site button above goes straight there.

Tox vs alternatives

	Tox	Signal	Briar	Cwtch
Pricing	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas	messaging, peer to peer, encryption, privacy	messaging, encryption, privacy	messaging, peer to peer, open source	messaging, privacy, tor, groups
Official site	tox.chat	signal.org	briarproject.org	cwtch.im
Directory status	Listed	Listed	Listed	Listed

Side-by-side from each listing's own directory data. Full alternative cards are below.

About the Communication & Collaboration category

Chat, video meetings, and messaging apps that keep teams connected. The Communication & Collaboration category on Tools Hub currently lists 565 tools. Alongside Tox, it includes Inboxen, Mail-in-a-Box, Modoboa, SimpleLogin.

FreeCommunication & Collaborationmessagingpeer-to-peerencryptionprivacy

Alternatives to Tox

Tools in the same Communication & Collaboration category that share focus areas with Tox — worth comparing before you commit:

Communication & Collaboration

Signal

Private messaging with gold-standard encryption

Freemessagingencryptionprivacy

Communication & Collaboration

Briar

Peer-to-peer messenger that works over Tor and local networks without central

Freemessagingpeer-to-peeropen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Cwtch

Metadata-resistant decentralized group messaging

Freemessagingprivacytorgroups

Communication & Collaboration

Element

Secure messaging on the Matrix protocol

Freemiummessagingmatrixencryptionsecurity

Communication & Collaboration

Schleuder

A GPG-enabled mailing list manager for encrypted group communication

Freemailing-listgpgencryptionprivacy

Communication & Collaboration

Session

Private messenger that needs no phone number and routes messages through

Freemessagingprivacydecentralised

More in Communication & Collaboration

Comparing tools in the Communication & Collaboration category? These related listings are worth a look: Inboxen — An infinite number of unique inboxes for your email; Mail-in-a-Box — Turn a fresh Ubuntu server into a working mail server with one command; Modoboa — Open-source mail hosting and management platform with a modern web interface.