KIIAREN-Release is the open-source, self-hosted edition of KIIAREN - a real-time collaboration platform with workspaces, channels, direct messages, docs, and whiteboards.
Note: This repository is for self-hosted deployments with flexible backend options. For the managed SaaS version at kiiaren.com, see the private KIIAREN-SAAS repository.
KIIAREN-Release offers flexible backend options:
| Database | Realtime | Search | Status | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convex | Convex | Convex Search | ✅ Production | Quick start, managed infrastructure |
| Postgres | ws-redis | pg_fts | 🚧 Planned | Common self-host |
| Postgres | ws-nats | Meilisearch | 🚧 Planned | Enterprise self-host |
| SQLite | none | none | 🚧 Planned | Development, simple deployments |
Default: Convex - A managed backend service that handles real-time subscriptions, authentication, and storage. This is the recommended deployment path for most users.
Before self-hosting, understand what you're taking on:
You are responsible for:
- Server provisioning and maintenance
- Database backups and disaster recovery
- Security patches and vulnerability management
- TLS certificates and network security
- Scaling decisions and load balancing
- Uptime and incident response
You will NOT have:
- Indexed full-text search (basic ILIKE only)
- Centralized key management (KMS)
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Audit logging / eDiscovery
- Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC)
- AI features with persistent memory
- Push notification infrastructure
- SLA guarantees
- Professional support
Requirements:
- PostgreSQL 14+
- Node.js 20+
- WebSocket server infrastructure
- S3-compatible storage or local disk
- DevOps expertise
See docs/product/editioning.md for detailed feature boundaries.
KIIAREN/
├── apps/
│ └── web/ # Next.js application
│ ├── src/ # Source code (app, components, features, hooks, lib)
│ ├── public/ # Static assets
│ ├── package.json # Web app dependencies
│ ├── tsconfig.json # TypeScript config
│ ├── next.config.mjs # Next.js config
│ └── ...config files
├── packages/
│ ├── core/ # Backend provider abstraction layer
│ │ └── src/
│ │ ├── providers/ # Provider interfaces & implementations
│ │ └── managed/ # Managed-tier feature definitions
│ └── shared/ # Shared types and schemas
│ └── src/
│ ├── types/ # Convex type re-exports
│ └── schemas/ # Zod validation schemas
├── convex/ # Convex backend (at root - standard practice)
│ ├── schema.ts
│ ├── channels.ts
│ ├── messages.ts
│ ├── workspaces.ts
│ └── ...other functions
├── package.json # Monorepo root with workspaces
├── tsconfig.json # Root TypeScript config
└── .env.example # Environment variables template
- Node.js >= 20.0.0
- npm >= 10.0.0
# Install all workspace dependencies
npm install
# Or from root
npm install- Copy
.env.exampleto.envin the project root - Fill in your Convex deployment details
- Set up OAuth credentials (Google, GitHub) if needed
Note: All apps use a single .env file at the monorepo root. See docs/setup/env-mapping.md for detailed variable documentation.
# Run Next.js dev server
npm run dev
# Or explicitly
npm run dev --workspace=@kiiaren/web
# Or from apps/web directory
cd apps/web && npm run dev# Build all workspaces
npm run build
# Build web app only
npm run build --workspace=@kiiaren/web# Lint all packages
npm run lint
# Fix lint issues
npm run lint:fix
# Format code
npm run format:fixThe Convex backend remains at the root level, which is the standard monorepo practice for Convex projects.
# Run Convex dev (from root)
npx convex dev
# Or
bunx convex devSee docs/architecture/system-design.md for detailed system design.
KIIAREN uses a provider abstraction layer (@kiiaren/core) that decouples the web app from any specific backend:
apps/web → @kiiaren/core (interface) → ConvexProvider | SelfHostProvider
This enables:
- Managed deployments via Convex (default)
- Self-hosted deployments via PostgreSQL + WebSocket (skeleton)
- Future backend providers
- Event-centric: All state changes flow through typed domain events
- No mock data: All UI uses real backend queries/mutations
- RBAC: Workspace membership, admin roles, message ownership verified
- Extension hooks: OSS emits events, managed tier can process them
| Feature | OSS | Managed |
|---|---|---|
| Workspaces, Channels, DMs | Yes | Yes |
| Rich text messages, threads | Yes | Yes |
| File uploads, reactions | Yes | Yes |
| Docs (Notion-like) | Yes | Yes |
| Boards (Excalidraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Basic auth (email, OAuth) | Yes | Yes |
| Domain verification (DNS TXT) | Yes | Yes |
| Admin invite links | Yes | Yes |
| Indexed full-text search | No | Yes |
| KMS / key rotation | No | Yes |
| Audit logs / eDiscovery | No | Yes |
| Enterprise SSO | No | Yes |
| AI agents | No | Yes |
| SLA | No | Yes |
- Frontend: Next.js 14, React 18, TypeScript
- Backend: Convex (serverless backend)
- Auth: Convex Auth with OAuth
- UI: Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI, Radix UI
- State: Jotai, Nuqs
- Editor: Quill
Single .env file at monorepo root controls all apps (web, convex, docs, whiteboard).
# Backend provider (default: convex)
NEXT_PUBLIC_KIIAREN_PROVIDER=convex # or "self-host" (not implemented)CONVEX_DEPLOYMENT- Your Convex deployment (from dashboard)NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL- Public Convex URL
AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID/AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET- Google OAuthAUTH_GITHUB_ID/AUTH_GITHUB_SECRET- GitHub OAuthSITE_URL- Application URL (for auth callbacks)
For detailed variable mapping and validation, see docs/setup/env-mapping.md.
- Architecture - System design and provider interfaces
- Editioning - OSS vs Managed feature boundaries
- Convex Setup - Convex backend configuration
- Environment Variables - Configuration reference
- Migration Guide - Migration instructions
- License Strategy - Licensing philosophy
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
See docs/product/license-strategy.md for licensing philosophy.
Sanidhya Kumar Verma - GitHub
Copyright © 2026 KIIAREN
This project was refactored into a monorepo structure with provider abstraction to support both managed and self-hosted deployments while maintaining feature compatibility.
