Zero Chat

The Open Source Alternative to t3.chat 🚀

A modern, self-hostable AI chat application with real-time messaging, multiple AI model support, and beautiful responsive design. Built with Next.js 15 and designed for developers who want full control over their AI chat experience.

🔓 Open Source & Self-Hostable

• Full MIT license - modify, distribute, and use commercially
• Deploy on your own infrastructure with complete data ownership
• No vendor lock-in or platform dependencies

🎛️ Advanced Features

• Real-time chat synchronization across devices
• Color-coded project organization system
• Direct integration with multiple AI providers (OpenRouter, Groq, etc.)
• User-controlled API key management
• Secure code execution sandbox (Python, JavaScript, HTML) via E2B
• Email Verification & Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
• Chat Sharing & Forking
• Chat Archiving, Renaming, and Deletion

📱 Mobile-First Experience

• PWA-ready for native app installation
• Touch-optimized interface
• Perfect responsive design for all screen sizes

✨ Features

🤖 Multi-Model AI Support

• OpenRouter Integration - Access OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, Groq, Deepseek, and over 30+ models.
• User-Controlled API Keys - No vendor lock-in, use your own keys securely stored.

💻 Secure Code Execution

• E2B Sandbox - Execute Python, JavaScript, and render HTML previews in a secure, isolated environment.
• Real-time Output Streaming - See code execution results as they happen.
• Session Management - Robust E2B session handling with automatic cleanup via Vercel Cron.

🔄 Real-Time Experience

• Live Chat Sync - Messages appear instantly across devices using Redis Pub/Sub and Server-Sent Events.
• Typing Indicators - Know when AI or other users are responding.
• Stream Resumption - Designed to handle connection drops gracefully.
• Presence Indicators - Real-time connection status.

📁 Advanced Organization

• Project Management - Group conversations with custom colors.
• Chat Management - Archive, rename, and delete chats directly from the sidebar.
• Smart Search - Find any conversation instantly.
• Pin Important Chats - Keep key conversations at the top.
• Export Everything - Download your complete chat history.

🔐 Security & Authentication

• Email Verification - Secure sign-up process using Resend for email delivery.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - Enhance account security with email-based 2FA.
• Encrypted API Keys - User-provided API keys are encrypted at rest.
• Secure Session Management - Robust session handling using Redis.

🔗 Sharing & Collaboration

• Shareable Chat Links - Create public links to share specific chat sessions.
• Forkable Chats - Allow others to fork shared chats into their own workspace.

📱 Mobile-First Design

• PWA Ready - Install as a native app on supported devices.
• Touch Optimized - Interface designed for easy touch interaction.
• Responsive Breakpoints - Looks great on any screen size, from mobile to desktop.
• iOS Safe Areas - Native feel on all devices.

🎨 Beautiful UI/UX

• Glass Morphism Inspired - Modern, translucent design elements for a polished look.
• Dark/Light Mode - Automatic theme switching based on system preference.
• Accessibility First - WCAG compliant design, screen reader friendly.

🚀 Quick Start

One-Click Deploy

Note: You will need to set up environment variables on Vercel.

Manual Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/x1xhlol/zerochat.git
cd zerochat

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables (see below)
cp .env.example .env.local
# Edit .env.local with your actual values

# Start development server
npm run dev

Environment Configuration (.env.local)

# Required for Core Functionality
REDIS_URL="your_upstash_redis_url_or_other_redis_instance"
BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN="your_vercel_blob_read_write_token" # For file uploads/profile pictures
ENCRYPTION_SECRET="generate_a_strong_32_byte_secret_key" # Used for encrypting API keys. Use `openssl rand -hex 32`

# Required for Code Execution
E2B_API_KEY="your_e2b_api_key"

# Required for Email Verification & 2FA
RESEND_API_KEY="your_resend_api_key" # From Resend.com, ensure domain is verified
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL="http://localhost:3000" # Change to your deployed URL in production

# Required for Scheduled Cleanup (Vercel Cron or other)
CLEANUP_API_TOKEN="generate_a_secure_random_string" # Protects the /api/cleanup/sessions endpoint

# Optional AI Provider API Keys (users  set these in their profile)
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=""
GROQ_API_KEY=""
# ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=""
# OPENAI_API_KEY=""
# ... any other models supported via OpenRouter or directly

KV_URL=""
KV_REST_API_URL=""
KV_REST_API_TOKEN=""
KV_REST_API_READ_ONLY_TOKEN=""

Important:

• For ENCRYPTION_SECRET, generate a secure key using a command like openssl rand -hex 32.
• For RESEND_API_KEY, you need an account with Resend and a verified domain for sending emails.
• NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL should be your application's base URL. It's used for constructing verification links in emails.
• CLEANUP_API_TOKEN is a secret token you define to secure the session cleanup cron job endpoint.

🏗️ Architecture

Zero Chat is built with modern, scalable technologies:

• Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router), TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui.
• Backend: Next.js API Routes, Server Actions.
• Database/Cache: Redis (Upstash recommended) for session management, chat history, real-time sync.
• AI Integration: Vercel AI SDK, OpenRouter for broad model access.
• Code Execution: E2B for secure, sandboxed execution of Python, JavaScript, and HTML.
• File Storage: Vercel Blob for profile pictures and potential future file attachments.
• Real-time Communication: Redis Pub/Sub and Server-Sent Events (SSE).
• Authentication: Custom credential-based authentication with email verification (Resend) and 2FA.
• Scheduled Jobs: Vercel Cron for E2B session cleanup.

🔧 Self-Hosting Options

Vercel + Upstash (Recommended)

• Frontend & Backend: Deploy to Vercel.
• Redis: Use Upstash Redis (free tier available).
• Blob Storage: Vercel Blob (included with Vercel).
• Email: Resend (free tier available).
• Code Execution: E2B (free tier available).
• Cron Jobs: Vercel Cron (included with Vercel). This setup offers a highly scalable, serverless architecture with minimal configuration.

Traditional VPS

• Application: Run the Next.js app using Node.js (e.g., via Docker).
• Redis: Self-host a Redis instance or use a managed cloud Redis.
• Blob Storage: Use any S3-compatible storage service (e.g., MinIO, AWS S3). You'll need to adapt file upload logic.
• Email: Integrate with any email provider via Resend or adapt to another (e.g., SMTP).
• Code Execution: E2B cloud is still recommended for security. Self-hosting a secure code execution sandbox is complex.
• Cron Jobs: Use system cron or a similar scheduler to call the cleanup API endpoint.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Zero Chat is built by developers, for developers.

Development Setup

# Ensure you have Node.js (v18+ recommended) and npm/yarn/pnpm
git clone https://github.com/x1xhlol/zerochat.git
cd zerochat
npm install # or yarn install / pnpm install

# Set up your .env.local file as described above
# (For local dev, you might skip some optional keys or use mock values for non-critical services)

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Contributing Guidelines

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/your-amazing-feature).
3. Make your changes. Ensure code is well-formatted (run npm run lint and npm run format).
4. Test your changes thoroughly. Add unit or integration tests where appropriate.
5. Submit a pull request to the main branch with a clear description of your changes.

Roadmap

• Voice messages and transcription
• Team workspaces and advanced collaboration features
• Local AI model support (e.g., Ollama integration)
• Internationalization (i18n) / Multi-language support
• Enhanced file management within code execution sandbox

🛡️ Privacy & Security

• Data Ownership: Your conversations and data stay on your infrastructure (Redis, Vercel Blob).
• API Key Security: User-provided AI API keys are encrypted at rest using ENCRYPTION_SECRET.
• Secure Sessions: Robust session management with HTTP-only cookies and Redis.
• No Default Telemetry: Zero Chat does not send telemetry or analytics to external services by default.
• GDPR & Data Rights: Built-in features for data export and account deletion.
• Content Security Policy (CSP): Configured for enhanced security (review next.config.mjs).
• Rate Limiting: Implemented on sensitive API endpoints.

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE.md for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Theo Browne (t3dotgg) for inspiring the creation of an open-source alternative to t3.chat.
• All contributors and the open-source community.

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Zero Chat - Own your AI conversations. Built by developers, for developers.

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