Why it exists

The open-source world is full of great server software and starved of places where non-technical people can actually use it. Disroot closes that gap collectively: instead of every project hosting its own instance, Disroot runs one well-maintained bundle — email (real IMAP/SMTP with your own client), Nextcloud, Etherpad, CryptPad, XMPP, SearXNG, Forgejo, Akkoma and friends — under principles of freedom, privacy, federation and decentralization. No tracking, no ads, no profiling, no data mining; sign-up is free and the whole operation is carried by its community.

Main features

• Privacy-first email — full IMAP/SMTP accounts with no ads and no scanning, usable with any client; extra storage purchasable, or earned by regular supporters.
• Nextcloud suite — 2 GB cloud storage with files, calendar, contacts (CalDAV/CardDAV), notes and proper sync clients.
• Collaborative tools — Etherpad/Ethercalc pads, PrivateBin (encrypted pastebin), CryptPad (encrypted office docs), WriteFreely blogging.
• Chat & social — XMPP instant messaging (federated, OMEMO encryption), Akkoma federated microblogging in the Fediverse.
• Extras — SearXNG metasearch, Forgejo git hosting, Miniflux feed reader, Spliit expense sharing, Vaultwarden password vault, upload service — a dozen services under one identity.
• Federated & decentralizable — standard protocols everywhere, your choice of clients, Tor onion service access, Android app to onboard newcomers.
• Domain linking — bring your own domain for email if you're a regular supporter.

Who it's for

• People de-Googling without self-hosting: one account, many services, zero lambda dollars.
• Activists, journalists and small groups who want federated tools run by people they can read about.
• Communities that want XMPP/pads/cloud without becoming sysadmins.
• Former Riseup/autistici (inventati) users looking for a similarly politic, similarly donation-based home.

How it compares

• YunoHost — the DIY version: install Disroot's component stack on your own server when you outgrow trusting volunteers.
• Proton / Tuta — commercial, polished, Swiss privacy; Disroot is more services per euro (zero euros), less corporate polish.
• Riseup — invitation-only activist collectivism; Disroot is open sign-up with the same ethos.
• Self-hosted Stalwart or Mailcow — Stalwart gives you the email part with total control; Disroot gives you the email plus XMPP plus pads plus cloud with total non-control and zero ops.

Notes

• Accounts require a short manual-approval step for the main services (anti-spam measure) — extra services auto-activate.
• The collective explicitly asks non-paying users to consider donations or covering extra storage; there's no venture money anywhere in the picture.
• Service quality is volunteer-tier: fantastic uptime by the core team, but expect plain web UIs and self-service support via wiki and forum.
• One notable caution: because it's a popular free host, some services rate-limit Disroot email domains — a reason to use domain linking as a supporter.

Useful links

• Official site: https://disroot.org/
• Services overview: https://disroot.org/en#services
• Donate: https://disroot.org/en/donate
• Tutorials & wiki: https://howto.disroot.org/