Do I need to self-host to use Tusile?
No. You can create a free hosted server directly from the app: no server, no config files, no DevOps needed. You can also join existing public community servers with one Tusile identity.
What is a free hosted server?
When you tap + and choose Free (Hosted), Tusile creates and runs the community server for you on our infrastructure. You get text channels, voice/video, screen share, roles, and file uploads, ready in seconds. Every in-app feature is included and uploads go up to 50 MB a file. The server is listed in public discovery up to 25 members; past that it leaves discovery, but push notifications keep working and joins stay open up to 1,000 members. It shares a machine with other free communities, so while that machine is busy, calls and screen shares started on it run at reduced screen video and voice quality for everyone until it settles. Nothing is switched off by that.
What is the difference between a hosted server and a self-hosted server?
Hosted (free): Tusile runs the server. No setup required. 50 MB uploads; listed in public discovery up to 25 members, push notifications at any size, and joins stay open up to 1,000. Tusile stores the data.
Hosted (Supercharge): the same server on its own machine instead of the shared one, with unlimited members, discovery at any size, and files up to 500 MB each. Paid for 2 Sparks a day from the server's Sparks wallet, which any member can add to. If the wallet runs dry, it keeps running for 3 days of grace and then goes back to free hosting with every member and message kept.
Self-hosted: You run the server on your own VPS or hardware. You control data and retention. Every feature is free, file size is not capped, and joins are never capped; the server is listed in public discovery up to 250 members and gets push notifications at any size. Supercharge Pro or Max, paid daily in Sparks, keeps larger servers listed (up to 2,500 members, or any size). Requires Docker and a domain.
How big can a file upload be?
Free hosted server: 50 MB a file. Supercharged hosted server: up to 500 MB a file. Self-hosted server: Tusile sets no per-file cap; the limit is whatever your own proxy, disk and network allow. Direct messages: 50 MB a file, or 25 MB in an end-to-end encrypted conversation, because the app encrypts the file in memory before it leaves your device. Everywhere, there is no limit on how many files you upload or on how much space they take in total, and a message carries up to 10 attachments. Custom emoji go up to 512 KB.
What should I host myself if I choose self-hosting?
You self-host the community-server stack (community API + LiveKit + Caddy).
Where is my data stored?
Core Server (the shared Tusile identity service) holds your account, friends list, direct messages (text and DM file attachments), and profile avatars. That data lives on Tusile’s own servers, run on Hetzner in the EU, not on community servers you join. One-to-one direct messages are end-to-end encrypted, so what Core holds for those is ciphertext it cannot read; group direct messages, and anything sent before encryption was turned on, are stored as content. See the Privacy Policy for what stays visible either way.
Tusile-hosted community servers store channels, messages, file attachments, roles, and related content on Tusile’s servers in the EU. You can delete your hosted server and all its data at any time from the app.
Self-hosted community servers store channels, messages, files, and voice metadata on your own infrastructure, typically Postgres plus local disk or S3. You control retention and backups; see Backup & restore for pg_dump, file exports, and moving to a new host.
Per-community server nickname and server avatar live on that community server only, not on Core. Direct messages always use your global Core display name and picture.
Can I use a free domain?
Yes. Dynamic DNS options such as Duck DNS or No-IP work for hobby/community setups.
Which ports are mandatory?
At minimum: 80/tcp, 443/tcp, 7880/tcp, 7881/tcp, and 50000-50060/udp for reliable voice/video. Also open 3478/udp and 5349/tcp (TURN): without them, people on UDP-blocked or strict-NAT networks can get one-way audio. A LAN-only Offgrid server needs nothing forwarded.
How do upgrades work?
Upgrade by pulling newer container images and restarting compose. Community-server migrations run automatically at startup. Take a database backup first; see Backup & restore.