About CloakShell
CloakShell is a privacy-first community platform: real-time chat and first-class forums with no ads, no data mining, and no selling of user data.
What is CloakShell?
CloakShell is a community platform where groups get real-time chat channels and built-in discussion forums in one place. It launched publicly on March 15, 2026 and is available on the web, with native iOS and Android apps in development. Official social profiles are listed on the links page.
Communities on CloakShell can be public or private. Public communities and their forums are readable by anyone on the open web, no account needed. You can browse them today on the discover page. Private communities are visible only to their members.
Who runs CloakShell?
CloakShell is built and operated by CloakShell LLC, a company registered in Arkansas, United States, and founded by an independent developer. It is not part of an advertising business: the platform earns nothing from your attention or your data.
Legal contact: legal@cloakshell.com.
What does privacy-first mean here?
Privacy-first means CloakShell collects as little as possible and never makes money from what you do on the platform. There are no ads, no data mining, and no selling or sharing of user data for profit.
- No ads and no sponsored content, anywhere in the product.
- No data mining: your messages and activity are not profiled or monetized.
- No selling of user data, ever.
- No government ID requirements and no face scans. A date of birth entered once at sign-up, nothing more.
- Public communities are public: anyone can read them without an account. Private communities require an account and an invite.
Our security practices, including upload scanning and content moderation, are described on the security page. Conduct rules live in the community guidelines.
How is CloakShell funded?
CloakShell is funded by the CloakShell+ subscription: $4.99 per month or $47.99 per year. There is no ad money, so the business only works if the product is worth paying for.
The free tier is a complete product. CloakShell+ adds perks like higher upload limits and custom emoji; it never gates privacy.