Taverne

Free · self-hosted · among friends

Taverne

The free, warm hangout for friends: text, voice, screen and files, with no ads and no tracking, on your group’s server.

For Windows (64-bit). Anyone can download it; to get in you need a sign-up link: Taverne is invitation-only.

  • Free and open source (AGPL)
  • No ads, no tracking
  • Your data stays among friends
The Taverne sign wrapped in hops, a lit lantern, two mugs clinking, the forest behind TAVERNE

On the menu

Everything you need for a night in with friends

  • Text channels

    One channel per topic: messages stay readable and in their place.

  • Clear voice

    Crisp voice chat with background noise reduction, for playing, talking or simply hanging out together.

  • Screen and camera

    Share your screen or camera. Others can zoom in on the details.

  • Any file

    Pictures, videos, saves, archives: you send, they receive.

  • Mentions and replies

    Call someone with @, reply to a specific message: the thread stays clear.

  • A Windows app, up to date in one click

    Install it once. Updates show up in the app: one click is enough. You can also choose to have them install on their own (off by default).

A look inside

What it looks like

Mock-up of the app: channels and voice rooms on the left, the conversation in the middle with a reply, a mention and files, the voice corner on the right with Walto’s screen share and its zoom.

Privacy

A tavern with no eavesdroppers

Taverne has nothing to sell, and nobody to sell you to.

  • No ads

    No banners, no “premium offer”, no store.

  • No tracking

    No usage stats, no trackers, no profile of you.

  • Open source

    The code is public under the AGPL license: anyone can read it, check it and improve it.

  • Your data stays among friends

    Messages and files stay on your group’s server, not in some company’s cloud.

Coming soon, we’re on it

  • End-to-end encrypted direct messages
  • Forgot password: recover your account
  • Roles and permissions

Invitation only

How to join La Taverne

La Taverne is a private server, just friends. There is no public sign-up: a member has to invite you.

  1. Ask for a sign-up link

    La Taverne is invitation-only: a friend who is already a member gets you a sign-up link of your own.

  2. Install the Windows app

    One installer, two clicks. If Windows mentions an “unknown publisher”, see the FAQ below.

  3. Open the link

    Click your link, then “Open in Taverne”: the app opens on the sign-up form, you pick your name, you’re in.

No invitation? Ask the person who told you about Taverne.

Coming soon

Host your own server

Soon you will be able to create your own Taverne server, hosted on your PC, for your crew: your channels, your rules. Your account stays the same.

  • Hosted on your Windows PC
  • Your channels, your rules
  • Exactly the same code as La Taverne
In the works

FAQ

Questions at the counter

Windows shows “Unknown publisher” when installing. Is that normal?

Yes. Signing an installer requires a paid certificate, several hundred francs a year; for a project among friends, we do without. So Windows shows its blue warning, as it does for any program it doesn’t know yet.

What to click: More info, then Run anyway. If in doubt, get the download link from a friend and check that the message really came from them.

Is it free?

Yes, entirely. No subscription, no premium tier, no ads. The code is free software (AGPL) and will stay that way.

Is it safe?

The code is open, so anyone can check it. Your messages only go through your group’s server, run by a friend, not a company. End-to-end encrypted direct messages are not here yet: they are coming soon, and we’d rather tell you plainly than promise what does not exist yet.