---
## ✨ About
**thom.chat** is an open-source alternative/clone to [T3 Chat](https://t3.chat/), built for [Theo's cloneathon](https://x.com/theo/status/1931515264497254402).
It is self-hostable, by self-hosting your own app and [https://www.convex.dev/](Convex) instance.
While thom.chat is a clone, the featureset is not identical to T3 Chat.
## 🎯 Key Features
### 🤖 **AI & Models**
- **400+ AI Models** via OpenRouter integration
- **Free Tier** with 10 messages using premium models
- **Unlimited Free Models** (models ending in `:free`)
- **Bring Your Own Key** for unlimited access
### 💬 **Chat Experience**
- **Real-time streaming** responses
- **Streaming on the server** for interruption-free chats, even when reloading
- **Chat branching** for exploring different conversation paths
- **Full-text search** across your entire chat history
- **Privacy mode** for secure screen sharing
### 📁 **Rich Content**
- **File uploads** with image support
- **Web search** integration for real-time information
- **Markdown rendering** with syntax highlighting
- **Chat sharing** with public links
### ⚡ **Productivity**
- **Cursor-like rules** for consistent AI behavior
- **Keyboard shortcuts** for power users
- **Enhance prompt** button for better prompts
- **Message regeneration** capabilities
## 🛠️ Tech Stack
|
**Frontend**
- 🔥 SvelteKit
- 📝 TypeScript
- 🎨 Tailwind CSS
- 🍨 Melt UI Components
|
**Backend**
- 🔧 Convex Database
- 🔐 BetterAuth
- 🤖 OpenRouter API
- 🦾 Blood, sweat, and tears
|
## 🚀 Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- pnpm (recommended)
- OpenRouter API key (optional for free tier)
### Installation
1. **Clone the repository**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/tglide/thom-chat.git
cd thom-chat
```
2. **Install dependencies**
```bash
pnpm install
```
3. **Environment setup**
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration
```
4. **Start development server**
```bash
pnpm dev
```
5. **Open your browser**
```
http://localhost:5173
```
## 🎮 Usage
### Free Tier
- Sign up and get **10 free messages** with premium models
- Use **unlimited free models** (ending in `:free`)
- No credit card required
### Premium Features
- Add your own OpenRouter API key for unlimited access
- Access to all 400+ models
## 🤝 Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please see our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.
1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request
## 📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## 🙏 Acknowledgments
- Inspired by [T3 Chat](https://t3.chat/)
- Built with [SvelteKit](https://kit.svelte.dev/)
- Powered by [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai/)
- Database by [Convex](https://convex.dev/)
---
