Terms of Service

Last updated:

By accessing or using https://xchat.directory ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

1. Service description

XChat Hub is an unofficial, community-driven information site about XChat and other messaging applications. We provide:

  • Editorial reviews of encrypted messaging applications
  • Side-by-side comparison pages
  • A public directory of XChat groups, moderated by our editorial team
  • How-to guides and reference material

We are not affiliated with X Corp, Elon Musk, Signal Foundation, Meta, Telegram, Threema, Wire, Element, SimpleX Chat, or any other platform we review. All trademarks mentioned on this Site are the property of their respective owners.

2. Editorial content disclaimer

All reviews, scores, and opinions on the Site represent the editorial judgement of the XChat Hub team as of the published date shown on each page. We strive for factual accuracy and cross-check claims against primary sources, but:

  • Software changes. Features, pricing, and security properties of messaging apps evolve. An "excellent" rating today may not reflect the situation in 12 months.
  • Subjective use cases. What works for an activist in Hong Kong may not work for a parent in Texas. Our "best for" recommendations are starting points, not prescriptions.
  • No professional advice. Nothing on this Site constitutes legal, security, medical, or financial advice. For high-risk situations, consult a qualified professional.

If you spot a factual error, please contact us with the article URL and a public source.

3. Group directory disclaimer

The group directory contains links to XChat groups submitted by third parties or discovered from public posts. We do not control, endorse, vet, or warrant the behaviour of any listed group. By using a listed invite link, you accept that:

  • Group content may change without notice after listing.
  • Group owners may revoke your membership at their discretion.
  • You participate at your own risk.
  • We may remove listings that violate our content policy without notice.

If a group violates our content guidelines (spam, illegal content, hate speech, scams), please report it via the Telegram community.

4. User obligations

When using the Site, you agree NOT to:

  • Submit group listings containing illegal content, malware, or phishing links.
  • Impersonate any person or entity in form submissions.
  • Attempt to scrape, crawl, or systematically harvest content at a rate that exceeds normal browsing.
  • Attempt to circumvent rate limits or access controls on the Site or its APIs.
  • Submit fraudulent Buy Me a Coffee receipts or chargebacks after a paid listing is activated.

5. Advertising and commercial relationships

The Site may display advertisements served by third-party ad networks, including Google AdSense. These providers may use cookies and similar technologies as described in our Privacy Policy.

We may also include affiliate links or sponsored placements. Such content is always clearly labelled with Ad, Affiliate, or Sponsored markers, and never influences our editorial scores.

6. Intellectual property

Original editorial content on this Site (reviews, comparisons, guides) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — you may share and adapt with attribution, for non-commercial use, and under the same license.

Product names, logos, and trademarks referenced on this Site are the property of their respective owners. Reference to any product does not imply endorsement by the trademark holder.

If you believe content on this Site infringes your copyright, send a DMCA notice (with the URL of the allegedly infringing content and a statement of ownership) to our contact channel. We will respond within 72 hours.

7. Paid listings (Group Directory)

We offer three tiers of paid group listings via Buy Me a Coffee: Free, Featured ($9 / 30 days), and Lifetime ($29 one-time). By purchasing a paid tier, you agree that:

  • Payment is non-refundable once the listing is activated, except in cases of clear editorial error.
  • Featured tiers auto-downgrade to Free at expiry.
  • Lifetime pins remain as long as the directory is operational. If we shut down the directory, we will issue a proportional refund.
  • We may remove a paid listing for content policy violations without refund.

8. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

THE SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, XCHAT HUB AND ITS EDITORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SITE.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless XChat Hub, its editors, and affiliates from any claim or demand (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your breach of these Terms or your use of the Site.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be noted with an updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Delaware.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms? See our Contact page or message us on Telegram.