matterbridge: The Universal Chat Bridge for Seamless Communication

matterbridge: The Universal Chat Bridge for Seamless Communication

Summary

matterbridge is an open-source tool designed to seamlessly connect various chat and messaging platforms. It acts as a universal bridge, allowing users to communicate across services like Discord, Slack, Telegram, IRC, and many more, all from their preferred client. This powerful Go-based application ensures that conversations flow freely, regardless of the underlying platform.

Repository Info

Updated on October 12, 2025
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Tags

bridgechatmessagingcommunicationdiscordslacktelegramGo

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Introduction

matterbridge is a highly versatile and robust open-source application that serves as a universal bridge between over 20 different chat and messaging protocols. Developed by 42wim and written in Go, it enables users and communities to communicate effortlessly across disparate platforms such as Discord, Slack, Telegram, IRC, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and many others. With over 7,200 stars and 680 forks on GitHub, matterbridge is a testament to its utility and active development.

Key features include:

  • Support for bridging between any of the supported protocols.
  • Handling of message edits and deletes.
  • Preservation of threading where possible.
  • Attachment and file handling.
  • Username and avatar spoofing for a native feel.
  • Support for private groups.
  • A flexible API for third-party integrations.

Installation

Getting started with matterbridge is straightforward, whether you prefer pre-built binaries, package managers, or building from source.

Binaries:
The easiest way to install is by downloading the latest stable release from the GitHub releases page. Development releases are also available for those who want the latest features.

Packages:
matterbridge is available via various package managers, including snap and scoop. You can find an overview of available packages on Repology.

Building from Source:
For users who prefer to build matterbridge themselves, Go 1.18+ is required.

# Install the latest stable version
go install github.com/42wim/matterbridge

# Install the latest development version
go install github.com/42wim/matterbridge@master

Detailed instructions, including how to build with specific tags (e.g., for WhatsApp multidevice support or to reduce memory usage), are available in the official README.

For deployment, matterbridge offers comprehensive guides for Docker and Systemd setups.

Examples

Configuring matterbridge involves creating a matterbridge.toml file that defines your accounts and gateways. A gateway links channels from different platforms. For instance, you can bridge a Slack channel with a Discord server channel.

Here's a conceptual example of bridging Slack and Discord:

[slack]
[slack.test]
Token="yourslacktoken"
PrefixMessagesWithNick=true

[discord]
[discord.test]
Token="yourdiscordtoken"
Server="yourdiscordservername"

[general]
RemoteNickFormat="[{PROTOCOL}/{BRIDGE}] <{NICK}> "

[[gateway]]
    name = "mygateway"
    enable=true

    [[gateway.inout]]
    account = "discord.test"
    channel="general"

    [[gateway.inout]]
    account ="slack.test"
    channel = "general"

This configuration snippet sets up a gateway named "mygateway" that connects the "general" channel on your Discord server with the "general" channel on your Slack workspace. Messages sent in one will appear in the other, maintaining context and user identities.

For a step-by-step walkthrough and more advanced configurations, refer to the How-to create your config wiki page and the matterbridge.toml.sample file.

Why Use matterbridge?

matterbridge addresses the common challenge of fragmented communication across various platforms. By deploying matterbridge, you can:

  • Centralize Communication: Bring all your team's or community's conversations into one unified stream, regardless of their preferred chat application.
  • Enhance Collaboration: Facilitate seamless interaction between users on different platforms, breaking down communication silos.
  • Reduce Context Switching: Users can stay in their favorite chat client while still participating in discussions happening elsewhere.
  • Maintain Open Source Control: As an open-source project, matterbridge offers transparency, flexibility, and the ability to self-host and customize.
  • Broad Protocol Support: Its extensive list of natively supported and third-party integrated protocols makes it incredibly versatile for almost any setup.

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