Dinghy
A small open-source live support chat that you can run on one small server.
On a new Linux server:
git clone -b v0.28.0 https://github.com/dinghy-chat/dinghy.git
cd dinghy
sudo ./install.sh
The installer asks a few questions, installs Docker if it is missing, gets an HTTPS certificate and prints a sign-in link and the tag for your site. The docs have the next steps.
It has text and images in both directions, verified users, several operators, web push and email alerts, and export and import.
An AI agent can install it on your site and answer chats through its MCP server, with OAuth in the browser, drafts that a person approves, and a handoff to your team. Use Dinghy with AI agents has the steps.
One Hetzner CX23 ran the full install with 5,000 open streams in under 600 MB. The measurements have the numbers and their limits.
Self-hosted or cloud
The code is the same. A paid cloud plan is planned, and it is not open yet.
| Self-hosted | Cloud |
|---|
| Runs on | Your server | Ours |
| Updates and backups | You run them | We run them |
| Third-party accounts | None needed | None for you |
| Your data | On your server | Exports to a file that imports into a self-hosted install |
Docs
Development
You need Bun, Node 24 and Docker.
bun install
bun run dev
That starts Postgres, Valkey and an S3-compatible store in Docker, and Dinghy at http://localhost:3000, with a test site for the widget at http://localhost:3001. CONTRIBUTING.md has the checks, the code layout and the contributor license agreement. Everyone who takes part follows the code of conduct.
License
Dinghy is open core. LICENSE-NOTICE.md explains the split.
- The server, the operator app and everything else outside the two folders below use the AGPL 3.0. See
LICENSE.
- The widget (
packages/widget) uses the MIT license, so any site can embed it. See packages/widget/LICENSE.
ee/ holds the billing, signup, plan limits and image retention that only Dinghy Cloud runs, under a source-available license. See ee/LICENSE. A self-hosted install has every product feature. The image ships ee/, and a self-hosted install never turns it on: the code stays inactive unless the cloud's settings are set, and the license allows running it that way.
