Stoat review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source group chat for friends and communities
Stoat report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a free group chat for friends and communities
Stoat is a free, open-source group chat built around servers, channels and voice, aimed at friends and online communities rather than workplaces. It has no admin console, SSO or compliance features, and iPhone use is through a home-screen web app.
Who Stoat is for
- Fits if you run a hobby or gaming community and want it free
- Works for people who want an open-source alternative to Discord-style servers
Who Stoat is not for
- Not for you if you need workplace controls, as there is no admin console, SSO or compliance features
- Tight if you share big files, as uploads stop at 20MB and group DMs at 50 members
- Watch out: the Android app is Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through the web app
- Watch out: the legal entity is Revolt Platforms Ltd, and the product appears to have been called Revolt before
Why Stoat gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyEverything is free, with no subscription, and the server software is open source. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial.
- AFree plan and trialServers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 are all free. The caps are small for a community.
- CFeaturesServers, channels, roles, moderation and a public API for bots. The site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features, so it isn't built for work.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You make an account and join or create a server, so there is some learning.
- APlatforms and integrationsWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with a public API. The Android app is labelled Early Access and iPhone use is through the web app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Stoat's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/stoat#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/stoat.svg" alt="Stoat: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Stoat stands among team communication apps
Stoat's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 43 of 50) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Stoat has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Stoat’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 41 of 50, level with 9
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 50, level with 7
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 50, level with 38
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 50, level with 29
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 50, level with 22
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 team communication apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Stoat, or make your own?
Keep it
Stoat is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- An API that other software can build on.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Stoat’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Stoat?
Stoat is an open-source group chat app organized around servers, channels and voice chat, aimed at friends and online communities. Its site says it has no ads and does not sell user data, and that the company is built in Europe. Role-based permissions and moderation tools handle community management, and the server software can be self-hosted.
Worth knowing
- The Android app is labeled Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through installing the web app to the home screen.
- Built for communities rather than workplaces: the site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features.
- Uploads are capped at 20MB per file, and group DMs at 50 members.
- The site and legal entity (Revolt Platforms Ltd) suggest this product was formerly called Revolt.
Key features
- Servers and channels
- Communities are organized into servers with text channels and voice chat, plus file sharing and markdown formatting in messages.
- Roles and moderation
- A role-based permissions system and moderation tools manage who can do what, and moderation bots work with it.
- Group DMs
- Group direct messages hold up to 50 members, and bots work inside them as well.
- Themes and profile options
- Built-in themes can be swapped for ones from the Discover section or your own, and profile banners and animated avatars need no subscription.
- Public API for bots and clients
- The company says its official apps use the same public API that developers get, for building bots or custom clients.
- Self-hosting
- You can run your own server if you prefer; the site describes this as free and open.
Stoat pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Stoat is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Stoat is free, with custom emojis, a 20MB file upload limit and server-specific profile pictures included and no subscription required.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Everything is free: servers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 members. |
Read from stoat.chat on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Stoat before you buy.
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Common questions
Is Stoat open source?
Yes. Stoat is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Stoat have an API?
Yes. Stoat offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.