Lotus Guild
Private Communications
How to Join
- 1 Open chat.lotusguild.org — your homeserver is pre-configured
-
2
Register with a token from Jared —
@jared:matrix.lotusguild.org - 3 Join the Lotus Guild Space to access all rooms
or join from another server
Recommended Client
Our Lotus Guild fork of Cinny adds:
Calls & Voice
- Voice rooms with our own Element Call fork on a self-hosted LiveKit SFU
- Push-to-talk and push-to-deafen, with system-wide hotkeys on the Windows app (work while a game has focus)
- On-device noise suppression: Off, browser-native, or ML (RNNoise, Speex, DTLN, DeepFilterNet 3)
- In-call soundboard with your own clips, synced across your devices
- Incoming-call ring with Answer/Decline, join/leave sounds, draggable picture-in-picture window
- Screenshare fullscreen and audio mute; per-user mic/screenshare bitrate and framerate caps
- Server-enforced room limits and permissions (max participants, audio-only, no screenshare) for every Matrix client
- AFK auto-mute after a configurable idle time
Messaging
- Threads with a side panel, unread chips and per-thread notification overrides
- Voice messages with 0.75×–2× playback (MSC3245, E2EE)
- Polls, message scheduling (MSC4140), forwarding, captions and location sharing
- Pinned messages, saved messages/bookmarks and private notes on people, synced across devices
- Who-reacted viewer, read receipt avatars, quick reactions on hover
- GIF picker (Giphy), custom emoji & sticker packs, math/LaTeX (KaTeX)
- On-device message translation: text never leaves your machine, works in encrypted rooms
Media & Links
- Click-to-play inline embeds: YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit, Bluesky, Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, Tidal and more
- Rich link cards for GitHub, Steam, Wikipedia, IMDb, npm and others; animated GIF previews
- Media gallery for every image, video and file shared in a room
- Optional image compression, folder drag-and-drop upload
Privacy & Security
- Private read receipts, hide typing, hide online status
- Tracking-parameter stripping (utm_*, fbclid, YouTube si= and ~40 more), on your device
- Opt-in on-device search index for encrypted rooms, wiped on logout
- Device verification fixes (cross-client emoji SAS) and a per-member session panel
Look & Feel
- Lotus Terminal theme, night-light filter, glassmorphism sidebar
- Animated chat backgrounds and 11 seasonal overlays (all respect reduced motion)
- 99 animated avatar decorations, visible to other Lotus users (MSC4133)
- Custom status with emoji and auto-clear, Discord-style presence rings
- Settings sync across devices (theme, layout, notification and privacy preferences)
Desktop App
- Windows, macOS and Linux (Tauri)
- Rich Windows notifications with inline reply; Focus Assist sync
- Taskbar call controls, jump list and upload progress; tray with call status
- Stays awake during calls, reconnects on network changes, updates itself
Rooms & Moderation
- Knock-to-join with an admin approve/deny panel and live pending-count badge
- Invite links with QR codes, favourites, room filter, room history export (txt/json/html)
- Room activity & mod log, stats panel, server ACL editor, policy-list viewer
Full list in LOTUS_FEATURES.md.
Prefer the unmodified upstream? cinny.in works with our homeserver — set it to matrix.lotusguild.org.
Already signed in? Jump straight into the community:
Join Lotus Guild Space →Other Clients
Web & Desktop — Official Cinny
The upstream open-source Cinny client. Same Discord-like UI and best-in-class space navigation as Lotus Chat, but without our custom additions (no GIF picker, no call ring notification, no PiP window, no message forwarding). Set homeserver to matrix.lotusguild.org.
Mobile — iOS & Android
Fastest Matrix client — instant load via Sliding Sync. Native MatrixRTC calls (voice-only + video), screenshare, DM voice calls, live location sharing, media captions. Full space create & management. Rust encryption (Vodozemac).
Simple, beginner-friendly, fully cross-platform. Dart SDK with Vodozemac encryption. Unique: supports image captions (text + image as one event). Voice/video calls are experimental — reliability varies by homeserver and platform.
Discord-like — Android, Windows, macOS & Linux
Most Discord-like client overall. Multi-account support, built-in GIF search (privacy proxy — uploads to homeserver), shared calendars & photo albums, polls, screenshare on browsers & Android. Available on Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Web. Active development — iOS planned.
Desktop — Windows, macOS & Linux
Most feature-complete Matrix client — every spec feature including polls, widgets, threads, screenshare. Heavier on resources. Encrypted message search on desktop only (not web).
Native C++/Qt client — lightest desktop option, no Electron. Deep KDE/Plasma integration. No threads, no mobile or web. Best for Linux power users who want minimal resource usage.
Client Feature Comparison
Client comparison last reviewed
← swipe to compare →
| Lotus Chatchat.lotusguild.org Our Cinny fork |
Cinnycinny.in Official |
Element XiOS & Android | FluffyChatAll platforms | CommetAndroid / Win / macOS / Linux | ElementWeb & Desktop | NhekoDesktop only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | |||||||
| iOS | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Android | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Desktop app | ✓ | ✓Cinny Desktop | ✗ | ✓ | ✓Win, macOS & Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web browser | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Performance | Light | Light | Very fastSliding Sync | Moderate | Moderate | HeavyElectron / JS | LightNative C++ |
| Desktop App | |||||||
| Native rich notifications (click→open, inline reply) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Windows Jump List (recent rooms) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Taskbar + volume-flyout call controls | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Focus Assist → auto Do-Not-Disturb | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Stay awake during calls | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Recursive folder drag-drop upload | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Security & Encryption | |||||||
| E2EE | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vodozemac encryptionstronger crypto track record | ✗js-sdk | ✗js-sdk | ✓Rust SDK | ✓dart-sdk | ✓dart-sdk | ✗js-sdk, migrating | ✗ |
| Device verification | ✓SAS emoji, cross-client requests show inline card | ~cross-client requests may show unsupported |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voice & Video | |||||||
| Voice & video calls | ✓rooms & DMs, group calls, screenshare via Element Call |
~Element Call embed; no ring notification |
✓MatrixRTC | ~experimental, varies by homeserver |
~1:1 + group, no E2EE voice rooms |
✓ | ✓ |
| Screenshare | ✓via Element Call; fullscreen button, independent audio mute |
✓via Element Call embed | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓XDG portals & native |
| Noise suppressionfilter background noise from mic | ✓3 tiers: off / browser-native / on-device ML (RNNoise, Speex, DTLN, DeepFilterNet 3), works on self-hosted SFU |
~browser-native via Element Call |
~browser-native | ✗ | ✗ | ~browser-native; ML only on LiveKit Cloud |
✗ |
| Push-to-Talkhold key to transmit | ✓configurable hold key, PTT badge in call bar; M = push-to-deafen; system-wide on Windows desktop |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AFK auto-mutesilence mic after idle timeout | ✓1–30 min timeout, toast notification |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Voice channel user limitadmin-set max participants | ✓per-room cap, server-enforced for all clients |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Call join/leave soundscue when others come & go | ✓3 styles, Web Audio synth |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Group calls | ✓via Element Call embed | ✓via Element Call embed | ✓MatrixRTC | ✗ | ~no E2EE voice rooms | ✓ | ~partial |
| Incoming call notificationring + Answer/Decline | ✓DMs & group chats; ring tone, auto-dismiss |
✗ | ✓native push | ~experimental | ✓ | ✓desktop | ~partial |
| Core Features | |||||||
| Spaces | ✓best-in-class sub-space nav | ✓best-in-class sub-space nav | ✓dedicated spaces tab, full management |
✓ | ✓Discord-like categories | ✓sub-spaces clunky | ~limited |
| Threads | ✓side panel + Slack-style per-thread notifications | ~basic, no dedicated view | ~Labs flag | ✗shows as regular messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Polls | ✓create, vote & display; single or multiple choice |
~display only | ✓create, vote & end | ✓added v2.3.0 | ✓added v0.4.2 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Voice messagesrecord & play | ✓record & play, E2EE; 0.75×/1×/1.5×/2× speed |
~playback only | ✓record, play, variable speed, reply with voice |
✓record & play, pause support |
~playback confirmed; recording unclear |
✓ | ✗ |
| Pinned messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓dedicated pins view | ~view only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom emoji & stickers | ✓best-in-class | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ✓bulk upload, Signal packs | ~sometimes shows mxc:// URLs | ✓ |
| GIF search / picker | ✓Giphy, Terminal TDS themed, click-outside to close |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓privacy proxy, uploads to homeserver |
✗ | ✗ |
| Message search (encrypted) | ✓local cache scan; load-more buttons extend history per room |
~server search only; no E2EE support |
✗ | ~cache scan only | ✓client-side; auto-fetches + decrypts history during search |
~desktop only, not web | ~local DB scan |
| Widgets | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| UX & Extras | |||||||
| Multi-account | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~supported but clunky | ✓ | ✗ | ✗CLI profiles only |
| Image captions(text + image as one event) | ✓caption field on image & video upload |
✗ | ✓scrollable captions on media (v26.04.2) |
✓unique feature | ✗ | ✗ | ~ |
| Discord-like UI | ✓best-in-class for web | ✓ | ✗ | ✗WhatsApp/Telegram style | ✓most Discord-like overall | ✗ | ✗ |
| Shared calendars & albums | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓unique to Commet | ✗ | ✗ |
| Night Light / Blue Light Filterwarm overlay, adjustable intensity | ✓5–80% intensity slider, Settings → Appearance |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Animated chat backgroundsCSS-only, GPU-accelerated | ✓5 animated wallpapers (rain, stars, grid pulse, aurora, fireflies); pause toggle |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Deleted message visibility(redacted events) | ✓"Message deleted" with reason if provided |
✗redacted messages hidden | ✓"Message deleted" placeholder shown |
✓shows redaction notice | ✓shows redaction notice | ✓"Message deleted" placeholder shown |
✓shows redaction notice |
| Location sharing | ~map embed view + static share button |
✗ | ✓live & static, map rendering |
~basic static | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Message forwarding | ✓forward to any room | ✗ | ~via share menu | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Per-message read receiptswho read each message | ✓avatar pill below message, click for list + timestamps |
✗ | ✓avatar thumbnails | ✓ | ✓ | ✓avatar row below message | ✓ |
| Who reactedsee who reacted with each emoji | ✓hover tooltip with names; right-click for full avatar modal |
✗ | ~tap reaction chip | ~ | ✓ | ✓tooltip + click for list | ✓ |
| Edit history viewersee all prior versions of an edited message | ✓click "(edited)" label → modal with all versions + timestamps |
✗label shown, not clickable | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom status messageshown below username | ✓emoji picker, auto-clear timer (30 min – 7 days), 64-char limit |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓via profile settings | ✗ |
| Online presence trackingidle/away auto-detection | ✓online on start, idle after 10 min, unavailable when tab hidden, offline on close; hide-status toggle |
~manual AFK only; auto idle detection PR open, unmerged |
~basic online/offline only | ~basic online/offline only | ~inactivity monitor shipped Oct 2025; no tab/close detection confirmed |
~3-min idle timer (shipped Nov 2023); no tab detection, no offline on close, no user-facing hide toggle |
~basic online/offline only |
| Media Gallerybrowse room images/videos/files | ✓right-side drawer; Images/Videos/Files tabs |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sidebar room filterfilter by name in real time | ✓Home & DMs tabs | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Favorite roomsstarred section in sidebar | ✓m.favourite tag, syncs across devices |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓favourites section | ✗ |
| Invite link + QR code | ✓matrix.to URL + QR code in invite modal & room settings |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Custom notification soundsper-category sound selector | ✓per-category sound selector; ▶ preview | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Notification quiet hourssilence notifs in a time window | ✓silence all notifs in a time window; overnight support | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Room sort ordersort sidebar rooms by activity, name, or unread | ✓Recent / A→Z / Unread First | ✗ | ~sort by activity only | ~alphabetical only | ✓multiple sort options | ~limited | ✗ |
| Push notifications | ~web push only | ~web push only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓desktop | ✓ |
| Export room historydownload messages as file | ✓txt/json/html, date range, E2EE-aware |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓has export | ✗ |
| Message schedulingsend later with datetime picker | ✓MSC4140, datetime picker, cancel tray above composer |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~partial / labs | ✗ |
| Message bookmarks / saved messages | ✓right-click bookmark, sidebar panel, syncs across devices |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collapsible long messagesauto-collapse >20 lines | ✓"Read more" toggle, threshold configurable |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Inline GIF previewGiphy / Tenor links auto-embed | ✓via homeserver proxy, no direct CDN contact |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Presence avatar border ringcolored ring shows online status | ✓green/yellow/red ring; timeline, members, mentions |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Room emoji prefix🎮 renders larger in sidebar | ✓1.15× size; emoji picker in all name inputs |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Quick emoji reactions on hover1-click react, no menu needed | ✓3 recent emoji in hover bar; dismisses emoji picker |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~hover bar, no recents | ✗ | ✗ |
| In-app notification toastsTDS-styled, when window focused | ✓slides in bottom-right; 4 s auto-dismiss, click to jump |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| On-device message translationread foreign messages in your language | ✓100% on-device browser AI; works in E2EE rooms, no cloud; Chromium desktop & Lotus app |
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Encryption architecture: Element X uses the native matrix-rust-sdk with Vodozemac. FluffyChat and Commet use matrix-dart-sdk, which also wraps Vodozemac for its crypto — all three benefit from Vodozemac's stronger security track record over the older JavaScript SDK. Cinny and Element Web/Desktop currently use matrix-js-sdk; Element is actively migrating to the Rust SDK. Clients using Vodozemac were not affected by historical js-sdk vulnerabilities.
✓ Full support
~ Partial / experimental
✗ Not supported
Server Details
Access
Invite-only
Max Upload
200 MB / file
Message History
Kept indefinitely
Media Retention
3 yr local · 1 yr remote
Federation
Fully federated
Minimum Age
13+ (COPPA)
No ads or tracking
No data sold
E2EE — server cannot read encrypted rooms
This service is provided "as-is" with no uptime guarantee. Not for emergency use — do not use to contact emergency services (e.g. 911). Use is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Governing law: State of Ohio, United States.
Questions or need a registration token?
Reach out to @jared:matrix.lotusguild.org