Revolt: The Next Big Thing

19 Jun, 2023
486 words
2 minute read

If you're the sort of person that reads my blog, then you're also likely the sort of person who uses the internet a fair amount. Chances are you use, or are at least familiar with, Discord, IRC, Matrix, or some other form of instant messaging service. What if I told you there was another, better program you've likely overlooked? I'm talking about the new chat platform on the block - Revolt.

Do note that I actively contribute to, and work on, Revolt and, as such, am biased. Also note that while I make many comparisons to Discord throughout this post, it is not because Revolt is a Discord clone, but simply because it's the easiest comparison to make.

Revolt is a fairly new platform, but since launching in mid 2021, it has been growing steadily in user count, features, and polish. The project recently reached the major milestone of 100,000 users after Discord removed discriminators and Revolt implemented them. It's also licenced under the open source AGPLv3 license.

So yes, it's free, open source, and not run by profiteering gluttons, but what does it actually have going for it? Quite a lot, actually. It's got discriminators, actual user support, third party clients, self-bots, and countless quality of life improvements. It also has many of the features that Discord locks behind a paywall as part of Nitro, such as custom emojis, animated profiles and banners, server identities, and custom themes.

Stylised version of Revolt's user interface.

And that's just what it has at the time of writing. Many things are planned, including webhooks, a new voice server, and end-to-end encryption (E2EE). The development team is also actively working on fancy new clients for the web, Android, and iOS, although the current web app is already accessible on most devices, if not with a bit of jank. If you want to see the rest of what is coming, then you can check it out on the public roadmap.

Another really cool thing about Revolt is its commitment to the user experience and willingness to take on feedback. Whenever making changes, Revolt will actively consult the community through the use of Requests for Comment (RFC) documents. These documents allow users and developers alike to discuss the features that are being considered and how they might be implemented.

If you need any further evidence of Revolt's commitment to the user, then you can see the client I made, Unvite. Please ignore the fact that it hasn't seen an update in a while. I've got a new update coming soon™.

Revolt is certainly a compelling and viable alternative to existing chat platforms and is well worth a look. I very much look forward to the future of the platform and seeing what it grows into. If you want to get in contact with me on Revolt, then you can find my account through this site's contact page. See you in chat!