Retroshare is a free and open-source peer-to-peer communication and file sharing app based on a friend-to-friend network built by GNU Privacy Guard (GPG). Optionally peers may exchange certificates and IP addresses to their friends and vice versa.
Retroshare was founded in 2004 by Mark Fernie. An unofficial build for the single-board computer Raspberry Pi, named PiShare, was available since 2012.
On 4 November 2014, Retroshare scored 6 out of 7 points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard, which is now out-of-date. It lost a point because there had not been a recent independent code audit.
In August 2015, Retroshare repository was migrated from SourceForge to GitHub. In 2016, Linux Magazine reviewed security gaps in Retroshare and described it as "a brave effort, but in the end, an ineffective one."
Retroshare is an instant messaging and file-sharing network that uses a distributed hash table for address discovery. Users can communicate indirectly through mutual friends and request direct connections.
What is RetroShare?
RetroShare by RetroShare Team is open-source Windows software in the chat & messaging category. It ranks 17th by popularity among chat & messaging in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2006. It is written in C and C++. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.6.7.2, released on November 30, 2023. The version history goes back to March 16, 2021: 2 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 0.7 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 5,586 times. The source code on GitHub (RetroShare/RetroShare) has 2,021 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 11 of our languages. Similar programs include Signal, Discord and Telegram Desktop.
Project description on GitHub: “RetroShare is a Free and Open Source cross-platform, Friend-2-Friend and secure decentralised communication platform.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on GNU/Linux and macOS
- Mature project (since 2006)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: RetroShare is an open-source chat & messaging tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is RetroShare safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
EA731150C791731D99EECEDBC9EAFD5BD73367D19CBCF6ACD56E7318DBD72CD0· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›2 versions over 3 years · about 0.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.6.7.2Latest | November 30, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.6.6 | March 16, 2021 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Retroshare.Retroshare -echoco install retroshare -yscoop install extras/retroshareRetroShare-0.6.7a-4-ga1fdce2e5-20231126-Qt-5.15.2-x64-setup.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- RetroShare Team
- Category
- Chat & messaging
- Licence
- AGPLv3
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/RetroShare/RetroShare
- Written in
- C and C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, macOS
- Version
- 0.6.7.2
- Released
- November 30, 2023
- First release
- 2006
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 2
- Updates / year
- 0.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 5,586
- GitHub stars
- 2,021
- GitHub forks
- 325
- Website
- retroshare.cc
- winget ID
- Retroshare.Retroshare
- Chocolatey package
- retroshare
- Scoop package
- extras/retroshare
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is RetroShare free?
Yes. RetroShare is open-source software under the AGPLv3 licence.
Is RetroShare safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install RetroShare with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can RetroShare be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does RetroShare run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of RetroShare?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 16, 2021.
What are alternatives to RetroShare?
Signal, Discord, Telegram Desktop, Slack and Viber. The alternatives page compares them.
