The latest articles on DEV Community by Arsene Huot (@arsene_huot_a6af0a191a2fe). https://dev.to/arsene_huot_a6af0a191a2fe https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3823018%2Fabe278fa-6fa3-4506-acba-61c68b44ec5d.jpg https://dev.to/arsene_huot_a6af0a191a2fe en Arsene Huot Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:24:41 +0000 https://dev.to/arsene_huot_a6af0a191a2fe/i-built-an-open-source-slack-alternative-you-can-self-host-in-minutes-openhive-3a55 https://dev.to/arsene_huot_a6af0a191a2fe/i-built-an-open-source-slack-alternative-you-can-self-host-in-minutes-openhive-3a55 <p>Hey DEV community! 👋</p> <p>I've been working on <strong>OpenHive</strong>, a fully open-source team messaging platform — think Slack, but self-hosted and free. I'm sharing it today because <strong>I need your help to make it better</strong>.</p> <h2> 🔗 Links </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>GitHub:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/arseneHuot/openhive" rel="noopener noreferrer">github.com/arseneHuot/openhive</a> </li> <li> <strong>Try the live demo:</strong> <a href="https://www.openhivedemo.com/auth?workspace=022469cb-2e23-4fe4-a462-5da6d55905cd" rel="noopener noreferrer">openhivedemo.com</a> </li> </ul> <h2> What is OpenHive? </h2> <p>OpenHive is a real-time team messaging app built with <strong>Next.js</strong>, <strong>Supabase</strong>, and <strong>LiveKit</strong>. You can self-host it in minutes — just clone the repo, run <code>npm run dev</code>, and the setup wizard handles everything (database provisioning, tables, RLS policies, etc.).</p> <p>No vendor lock-in, no hidden costs. Bring your own Supabase instance and you're good to go.</p> <h2> Features </h2> <p>Here's what's already built:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>Real-time messaging</strong> — channels (public/private), DMs, group DMs, threaded replies</li> <li> <strong>Rich text editor</strong> — bold, italic, code blocks, emoji picker (TipTap)</li> <li> <strong>Video &amp; audio calls</strong> — powered by LiveKit (open-source WebRTC), with screen sharing</li> <li> <strong>File uploads</strong> — images and documents via Supabase Storage</li> <li> <strong>@mentions</strong> with autocomplete</li> <li> <strong>Slash commands</strong> — built-in (<code>/shrug</code>, <code>/me</code>) + custom webhook-based commands</li> <li> <strong>Webhooks &amp; bots</strong> — incoming/outgoing webhooks, bot framework</li> <li> <strong>Email invitations</strong> — invite teammates via magic links</li> <li> <strong>Activity feed</strong> — centralized notifications for mentions, DMs, reactions</li> <li> <strong>Full-text search</strong> — <code>Cmd+K</code> quick navigation</li> <li> <strong>Fully responsive</strong> — works on mobile, tablet, and desktop</li> <li> <strong>Row Level Security</strong> — 23+ tables with fine-grained Supabase RLS policies</li> </ul> <h2> Tech Stack </h2> <div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Layer</th> <th>Tech</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Frontend</td> <td>Next.js 16 (App Router), TypeScript</td> </tr> <tr> <td>UI</td> <td>shadcn/ui + Tailwind CSS</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Editor</td> <td>TipTap</td> </tr> <tr> <td>State</td> <td>Zustand</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Backend</td> <td>Supabase (PostgreSQL, Auth, Realtime, Storage)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Calls</td> <td>LiveKit (WebRTC)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> <h2> Why open-source? </h2> <p>I believe team communication tools shouldn't lock you into expensive subscriptions or proprietary platforms. OpenHive is <strong>MIT licensed</strong> — use it, modify it, deploy it wherever you want.</p> <h2> We need contributors! 🙌 </h2> <p>This is a community-driven project and <strong>every contribution matters</strong>. Whether you're a frontend dev, backend engineer, designer, or just want to improve the docs — there's room for everyone.</p> <p>Some ideas for contributions:</p> <ul> <li>Custom emoji support</li> <li>Dark mode / themes</li> <li>End-to-end encryption</li> <li>PWA support</li> <li>Internationalization (i18n)</li> <li>Voice messages</li> <li>Typing indicators</li> </ul> <p>Check out the <a href="https://github.com/arseneHuot/openhive" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitHub repo</a> for the full roadmap, or just <strong>try the <a href="https://www.openhivedemo.com/auth?workspace=022469cb-2e23-4fe4-a462-5da6d55905cd" rel="noopener noreferrer">live demo</a></strong> and tell me what you think!</p> <p>Star ⭐ the repo if you like the project — it really helps with visibility.</p> <p>Thanks for reading, and happy coding! 🚀</p> opensource nextjs webdev javascript