PaperPhone: Building Two Self-Hosted Encrypted Messengers for Different Threat Models

Description and use

PaperPhone offers two self-hosted messaging options: Plus with full features and Lite focused on privacy and Tor-only connectivity.

Problem

Users need self-hosted messaging solutions that balance feature richness with privacy and minimal infrastructure exposure.

Outcome

Two self-hosted messaging editions were created: PaperPhonePlus delivers a full-featured ecosystem, while PaperPhoneLite offers a privacy-first, Tor-only deployment with reduced surface area.

Workflow

• 1. Choose edition based on threat model: Plus for full features, Lite for minimal exposure.
• 2. Deploy via Docker Compose (or Zeabur for Plus).
• 3. For Lite, configure Tor and ensure the client embeds Tor and connects to the onion service.
• 4. Set up LiveKit only if audio/video meetings are needed (Plus).
• 5. Store files on the server’s persistent volume; no external object storage required.
• 6. Enable optional Message Privacy password and text-appearance modes in Lite for local screen protection.
• 7. Use native clients (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS) for Plus; Lite’s client runs on the same platforms with Tor integration.

Evidence

PaperPhoneLite removes audio/video calls, public timelines, and social modules. This is intentional: fewer services and features mean a smaller exposed surface and a clearer privacy model.

Source

In production, the native client embeds Tor, waits for Tor bootstrap to complete, and connects only to a Tor v3 onion service.

Source

PaperPhonePlus is designed for everyday personal, community, and team communication. It includes private and group messaging, social posts, a public timeline, native clients for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, and LiveKit-based audio/video meetings for up to 100 participants.

Source