Built by someone who believes real connection still matters.
ThXChat is an independent project by Ethen, a solo developer building a chat platform focused on genuine human connection — not AI replacement.
Why ThXChat exists
The more AI chat apps I see launching, the more I believe the opposite will happen: people are going to want real human connection even more, not less.
That's basically why I built ThXChat.
I had this idea years ago but never seriously started. Work was busy, life was busy. A few months ago I finally committed and started building properly — solo, mostly after hours. It's been live for several months now, with over 1,500 early users so far.
The product itself: people get matched, can chat with live translation across 23 languages, do voice or video calls, or draw together on an interactive canvas. It's more than just text chat.
What makes ThXChat different
Informed matching
See a partner's gender, age, and region before the conversation starts — not a blind connect-and-bail.
Chat commitment timer
A short minimum stay gives both sides room to actually talk, rather than skipping every 5 seconds.
Text-first, no exposure
Random matches are text-based. Voice and video exist, but as an upgrade path for members — not the default.
Translation built in
23 languages, one-tap translation. Language should not decide who you can talk to.
Moderation that works
AI-assisted report review, human review tools, and tiered enforcement rather than shadow bans.
More than just chat
Voice and video calls, and collaborative drawing — all in one conversation without switching platforms.
About the founder
Hi, I'm Ethen. I build ThXChat alone, after hours. AI coding tools have been a huge part of this — as long as I can clearly think through the logic, the implementation just happens. I feel like I can move at a pace I never could before.
The hard part is retention. Both users have to be online at the same time for a match to work. That's a tough constraint, and I'm still figuring out growth. Revenue is small but real. I'm not stopping — every AI chat product I see launching makes me more convinced there's a genuine gap for real human connection.
If you want to follow the journey or say hello:
- Indie Hackers: @thxchat
- X (product account): @ThxChatCom
- Email: [email protected]
How ThXChat is built
ThXChat is a small, independently operated stack: a Vue 3 chat app, a Next.js marketing site, a Java Spring Boot backend, a Go service for AI workloads, and an OpenIM layer for real-time messaging. Voice and video run on LiveKit. Everything deployed on Cloudflare, Azure, and Tencent Cloud.
Safety features include AI-assisted review of reports and tools for human review. Enforcement is tiered — from warnings to temporary restrictions to permanent bans. Read more on the Safety page.
Safety commitment
Profile information, in-app reporting, and moderation help support responsible conversations.
Minor protection
Users enter their date of birth, and the system calculates their age to check eligibility. Accounts identified as underage are subject to permanent restrictions.
AI-powered content moderation
AI-assisted review helps assess user reports and supports moderation decisions. Reports can also be reviewed through the moderation dashboard.
Report review and enforcement
The moderation dashboard supports human review of reports. Enforcement is tiered — warnings, temporary restrictions, and permanent bans — based on severity.
Report & block tools
Users can report inappropriate behavior within the app. Premium members can also block users. Repeated violations are handled through tiered enforcement.
Read the full details on our Safety Guidelines page.
Come try it. No signup needed.
10 free matches a day as a guest. Unlimited after you sign in.
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