# Ethora: Open Source Chat SDK and AI Agent Platform > Ethora is an open source chat and AI platform for product teams: real-time > in-app messaging SDKs (iOS, Android, React, React Native, web), AI agents and > chatbots (RAG, self-hosted LLMs), and a backend you can run self-hosted or as > managed cloud. Built for regulated industries: healthcare (HIPAA-ready), > finance, and insurance. Key differentiators: full data ownership > (self-hosted or dedicated server), open source codebase on GitHub > (github.com/dappros/ethora), real-time AI message translation, compliance > audit trails, and AI agents native to the chat layer. ## Product pillars - [Chat SDK hub](https://ethora.com/chat-sdk/): real-time in-app messaging SDK for any platform - [Self-hosted chat server](https://ethora.com/chat-sdk/self-hosted-chat-server-aws/): open source, on-premise or AWS, full data ownership, no vendor lock-in - [Get Ethora](https://ethora.com/get/): every way to obtain the server: AWS Marketplace, Docker Hub, Helm chart, one-line installer, Cloudron, or a managed dedicated server from Ethora - [Healthcare chat SDK](https://ethora.com/healthcare-chat-sdk/): HIPAA-ready messaging for healthcare products - [AI SDK](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/): AI agents, RAG assistants, self-hosted LLMs, chatbot SDK for Python and Node.js - [Free AI chatbot for your website](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/embeddable-ai-agent-script/): AI chat widget trained on your pages and documents; one script tag or the WordPress plugin; free plan. - [RAG chatbot](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/rag-chatbot/): how a chatbot trained on your website and documents works, how to build one, tips for good answers. - [HIPAA compliant chatbot](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/hipaa-compliant-chatbot/): AI chatbot for healthcare websites and patient portals; BAA on Enterprise; self-hosted model option. - [AI chatbot for small business](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/ai-chatbot-for-small-business/): no-code setup in about 15 minutes, free plan, buyer checklist. - [Chatbase alternative](https://ethora.com/chatbase-alternative/) and [Tidio alternative](https://ethora.com/tidio-alternative/): honest comparisons for website AI chatbots. - More AI chat comparisons: [Intercom](https://ethora.com/intercom-alternative/), [Drift](https://ethora.com/drift-alternative/), [Zendesk Chat](https://ethora.com/zendesk-chat-alternative/), [LiveChat](https://ethora.com/livechat-alternative/), [Freshchat](https://ethora.com/freshchat-alternative/), [Olark](https://ethora.com/olark-alternative/), [Userlike (Lime Connect)](https://ethora.com/userlike-alternative/), [JivoChat](https://ethora.com/jivochat-alternative/), [tawk.to](https://ethora.com/tawk-to-alternative/), [Crisp](https://ethora.com/crisp-alternative/), [Botpress](https://ethora.com/botpress-alternative/), [Voiceflow](https://ethora.com/voiceflow-alternative/), [Landbot](https://ethora.com/landbot-alternative/), [Elfsight](https://ethora.com/elfsight-alternative/), [SiteGPT](https://ethora.com/sitegpt-alternative/), [CustomGPT.ai](https://ethora.com/customgpt-alternative/), [Manychat](https://ethora.com/manychat-alternative/), [Chatfuel](https://ethora.com/chatfuel-alternative/): honest Ethora vs live chat, help desk, chatbot-builder and social DM tools (facts checked 16 Oct 2026). - [iOS chat SDK](https://ethora.com/chat-sdk/chat-sdk-ios/) and [Android chat SDK](https://ethora.com/chat-sdk/chat-sdk-android/): open source native SDKs with free tier - [React chat component](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@ethora/chat-component): embeddable React chat UI on npm - [Chat widget SDK](https://ethora.com/chat-sdk/chat-widget-sdk-websites/): add chat to any website - [Pricing](https://ethora.com/pricing): free tier (1,000 MAU), cloud and self-hosted plans ## Proof and comparisons - [Case study: HIPAA-compliant AI assistant (RAG) for a medical video library](https://ethora.com/case-study-healthcare-ai-assistant/) - [Case study: In-app chat for a workers' comp health insurance provider (HIPAA compliant)](https://ethora.com/case-study-workers-comp-insurance-hipaa-chat/) - [Case study: CRM-integrated member community app for an honour society](https://ethora.com/case-study-education-member-community-app/) - [Case study: Fan community chat app with second-screen rooms and digital collectibles](https://ethora.com/case-study-fan-community-chat-app/) - [Case study: Self-hosted patient messaging for a multi-clinic digital health platform in Canada](https://ethora.com/case-study-digital-health-self-hosted-chat/) - [Case study: Dedicated chat server, AI-agent rooms and a React Native app for an energy-procurement platform](https://ethora.com/case-study-energy-ai-platform-dedicated-chat-server/) - [Case study: On-premise, end-to-end encrypted messaging for a European defence prime](https://ethora.com/case-study-defence-self-hosted-secure-messaging/) - [Case study: White-label secure messenger app for iOS and Android](https://ethora.com/case-study-white-label-secure-messenger-app/) - [Case studies: AI agents on customer websites](https://ethora.com/case-studies/ai-website-agents/) - [Case study: AI support agent on a mental health provider's WordPress website](https://ethora.com/case-study-mental-health-ai-website-agent/) - [Case study: AI teaching assistant for a university pharmacology course](https://ethora.com/case-study-university-ai-teaching-assistant/) - [Case study: AI product assistant for a health supplements e-commerce website (RAG pilot)](https://ethora.com/case-study-supplements-ecommerce-ai-assistant/) - [Case study: private self-hosted AI assistant for a corporate intelligence firm (local LLM, cloud GPU or on-premise; proposal)](https://ethora.com/case-study-corporate-intelligence-private-ai-assistant/) - [Case study: 3D multiplayer world built from a book with AI characters, on Ethora chat, agents and MCP, in one weekend](https://ethora.com/case-study-3d-world-from-a-book-ai-characters/) - [Chat SDKs compared](https://ethora.com/blog/chat-sdks-compared/): nine vendors plus the open source option, evaluated on scale and compliance - [Best self-hosted chat servers](https://ethora.com/blog/best-self-hosted-chat-servers-in-2026-complete-comparison/) and the [white label chat](https://ethora.com/blog/white-label-chat/) guide ## Developer resources - [MCP server (remote, Streamable HTTP, OAuth 2.1)](https://ethora.com/mcp): create chat apps, rooms, AI agents and website chat widgets from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or autonomous agents; agents can self-register and receive an API key. - [MCP server: how to connect Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code or an agent](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/mcp-server/): endpoint, entry points, per-client snippets, authentication. - [MCP server tool reference](https://ethora.com/ai-sdk/mcp-server/tools/): all 90 tools grouped by job with read-only and destructive flags, resources and prompts. - [GitHub (open source)](https://github.com/dappros/ethora) - [API documentation](https://api.chat.ethora.com/api-docs/) - [Blog](https://ethora.com/blog/): engineering guides on chat architecture, WebSockets, AI agents, HIPAA compliance - [Book a call](https://ethora.com/contact/): instant scheduling for demos and technical questions ## Company Ethora is built by Dappros Ltd (UK, since 2018). Contact: https://ethora.com/contact/ - [Research: The State of Conversational AI, Q3 2026](https://ethora.com/research/state-of-conversational-ai-2026-q3/) - [Research: Conversational AI Statistics 2026](https://ethora.com/research/statistics/conversational-ai-statistics/) - sourced, monthly-refreshed statistics: market size, adoption, jobs, search demand (CC BY 4.0) - [Research: AI Agent Statistics 2026](https://ethora.com/research/statistics/ai-agent-statistics/) - AI agent search growth, hiring, MCP adoption statistics (CC BY 4.0) - [Research: Chatbot Statistics 2026](https://ethora.com/research/statistics/chatbot-statistics/) - verified chatbot adoption, attitude, ROI and market statistics with per-stat sources (CC BY 4.0) - [Research: Agent-to-Agent Communication and Social Memory](https://ethora.com/research/agent-to-agent-communication-2026/) - working note on the missing social layer in the agentic stack, a multi-agent demo, and a model for long-term agent social memory (CC BY 4.0)