What IndieHosters does

IndieHosters is a French non-profit organization (transitioned to a SCOP worker cooperative in July 2025) that provides ethical hosting of libre (open-source) collaboration software for associations, NGOs, public-sector entities, and cooperatives in France. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Mornant, the organization serves 64 organizations and approximately 13,886 users through its Liiibre product bundle, which integrates Nextcloud (file storage), OnlyOffice (document editing), Element (Matrix-based messaging), and Jitsi Meet (video conferencing) behind Keycloak single sign-on, with additional modules including Discourse forums, Mobilizon events, Vaultwarden, Grist, email via Galae, and Mastodon/PeerTube on the Fediverse.

The underlying platform is Libre.sh (k8s.libre.sh), a Kubernetes-based automation stack for deploying and maintaining high-availability libre software clusters, hosted on Hetzner infrastructure in Germany with backup in Finland. The 6-person team (as of August 2025) operates fully remotely across France, with two annual week-long IndieCamp gatherings for in-person coordination. IndieHosters is a founding member of the CHATONS collective of ethical hosting providers and a core partner in the LaSuite.coop cooperative initiative launched in 2025 with Yaal, Le Bureau.coop, and OpenSourcePolitics.

Revenue is generated through a contribution-based pricing model, with monthly amounts negotiated per organization based on actual infrastructure and operational costs. Revenue streams include Liiibre cloud (mutualized and dedicated instances), email, professional support and training, and consultancy/work for partners like OpenSourcePolitics. No external funding rounds or venture investment are evidenced; the organization receives occasional grant funding (e.g., NGI for the SCIM project) and contributes 1% of annual turnover to the libre ecosystem via Copie Publique.

Name

IndieHosters

Legal name

IndieHosters

Website

https://indiehosters.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IndieHosters is a French ethical hosting cooperative that provides managed, EU-hosted libre software collaboration tools (Nextcloud, Element, Jitsi, OnlyOffice) to associations, NGOs, public-sector bodies, and cooperatives via its Liiibre bundle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Source Collaborative Workspace Hosting

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices) (BPAEACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Open-Source & Developer Communities (BPAMABAM)

Keywords

• Open source hosting
• Collaborative workspace platform
• Cloud infrastructure services
• Ethical hosting provider
• Federated libre tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Liiibre Contributions (Mutualized Cloud): Monthly contributions from organizations using the mutualized Liiibre cloud instance, calculated based on actual infrastructure and operational costs. Contributors pay only for what they use, with pricing discussed individually.
2. Dedicated Instance Contributions: Contributions from organizations with dedicated Nextcloud, Element, or other instances, priced based on resource needs and maintenance requirements.
3. Email Service (Galae Partnership): Email hosting service launched in 2025 in partnership with Galae (via Algoo), providing mailboxes with 2 GB of storage, integrated into the Liiibre experience.
4. Usage Accompaniment / Training: Support and training services to help organizations adopt libre collaboration tools, including onboarding, workshops, and user documentation.
5. System Administration and Consultancy: Consultancy, system administration, and development services provided to organizations, including infrastructure management for partners like Open Source Politics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IndieHosters provides hosted, open-source collaboration tools to organizations through its Liiibre platform, bundling Nextcloud, OnlyOffice, Element/Matrix, and Jitsi Meet into a unified secure workspace. Beyond the core Liiibre bundle, it offers add-on services including Discourse forums, Mobilizon events, Vaultwarden, Grist, Mastodon, PeerTube, HedgeDoc, and email hosting via Galae. The company also provides professional support, training, and system administration services.

Product overview

IndieHosters offers Liiibre, a unified collaborative workspace platform that bundles multiple open-source applications for organizations seeking ethical digital alternatives. The core Liiibre package integrates Nextcloud (file storage and collaboration), OnlyOffice (document editing), Element/Matrix (instant messaging with federation capabilities), and Jitsi Meet (video conferencing). Beyond the core bundle, IndieHosters provides additional hosted applications including Discourse forums, Mobilizon events management, Vaultwarden password management, Grist databases, email hosting via Galae, and Fediverse applications (Mastodon, PeerTube). The company also offers experimental testing through its Labo program and professional support and training services. IndieHosters operates as an ethical hosting provider in France, part of the CHATONS collective, emphasizing data sovereignty and libre software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LaSuite.coop: A cooperative initiative launched in 2025 with other free software actors (Yaal, Le Bureau.coop, OpenSourcePolitics) to co-own digital tools and build digital commons.

Products and services

• Liiibre Unified collaborative workspace bundle combining Nextcloud (file storage), OnlyOffice (document editing), and Jitsi Meet (video conferencing) in a secure environment reserved for each organization. Targeted at French associations, NGOs, cooperatives, and public-sector organizations seeking sovereign alternatives to GAFAM collaboration suites.
• Liiibre Instant Messaging (Element / Matrix)

Quantifiable outcome

• 99%+ service uptime (IndieHosters commits to >99% availability with ~2h/month maintenance windows)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CHATONS (Collectif des Hébergeurs Alternatifs, Oppposants aux Télex Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndieHosters is a founding member of the CHATONS collective, a grouping of ethical hosting providers in France that collectively oppose GAFAM surveillance models. CHATONS commits to not implementing usage tracking beyond statistical/administrative purposes, no advertising, publishing anonymized usage statistics, no ownership claims on user data/metadata, exclusive use of libre software, and no surveillance of users.
• YaalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYaal is a development partner collaborating with IndieHosters on LaSuite.coop (the cooperative commons initiative). Yaal provides software development expertise and has inspired IndieHosters' organizational role-based structure. Yaal contributed to the SCIM project along with CodeLutin, Florent, and Peter Bouda.
• Open Source PoliticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSP is a key partner for Decidim and governmental libre software deployments. IndieHosters manages OSP's technical infrastructure so OSP can focus on its core publisher role. Both companies collaborate within LaSuite.coop. IndieHosters also maintains a long-standing relationship with OSP for mutualization and knowledge sharing.
• Le Bureau.coopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Bureau.coop handles domain name management within LaSuite.coop. IndieHosters holds shares in Le Bureau.coop as part of its cooperative investment strategy. The relationship is both strategic and financial.
• KowebminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Koweb (ISP/network operator) to co-produce Indie Kafé free training workshops (2021-2022), teaching organizations how to use Liiibre tools. Workshops were recorded and published as replay videos for ongoing demand generation.
• Galae (via Algoo)coreTechnology or IntegrationGalae (run by Algoo) provides email hosting expertise and infrastructure for IndieHosters' relaunched email service. IndieHosters acts as a reseller/integrator of Galae's SOGo/Mailcow-based email solution, bundled into the Liiibre experience. This partnership fills a key service gap without requiring IndieHosters to develop in-house email expertise.
• KaihuriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaihuri took over Mobilizon software development/maintenance in 2024. A dynamic community initiative around Mobilizon was relaunched in March 2025 involving IndieHosters and Kaihuri. IndieHosters contributes to Mobilizon hosting and development support. IndieHosters also donated to Kaihuri as part of its Copie Publique contributions.
• Matrix FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndieHosters is a member of the Matrix Federation (since 2024), giving it governance input on the Matrix protocol's evolution. IndieHosters donated to the Matrix Foundation as part of its Copie Publique contributions (3,666€ total for 2023-2024).
• FramasoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFramasoft is a major French free software organization. IndieHosters donated to Framasoft as part of its Copie Publique contributions (3,666€ total for 2023-2024 alongside Kaihuri, Matrix Foundation, and Degmailisation campaign).
• HetznercoreOthersHetzner provides all server infrastructure for IndieHosters' services, located in Germany, with backup servers in Finland. Hetzner was selected for its renewable energy certification. IndieHosters rents approximately 10 servers (mix of used and new) from Hetzner, representing ~10% of IndieHosters' expenses.
• Gandi.netminorOthersGandi.net is used for DNS and domain name registration. Listed among IndieHosters' key external suppliers in the ecological/ethical sourcing approach.
• UptimeRobotminorOthersUptimeRobot provides external uptime monitoring for IndieHosters' services, enabling proactive incident detection alongside internal Grafana dashboards.
• DokosminorOthersDokos provides ERP/CRM/accounting software for IndieHosters' internal operations. Listed among key external suppliers in the ecological/ethical sourcing framework.
• LaSuite.coop (as cooperative entity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaSuite.coop is a new cooperative initiative (planned SCIC) launched in 2025 by Yaal, Le Bureau.coop, OpenSourcePolitics, and IndieHosters. Its ambition is to create federated libre digital commons where users can be co-owners. IndieHosters contributes hosting; the cooperative allocates part of revenue to libre software development communities and enables participatory governance.
• Dinum / La Suite NumériqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Suite Numérique (by DINUM, France's interministerial digital direction) selects or develops libre applications for government agents. Several applications overlap with LaSuite.coop. IndieHosters and LaSuite.coop partners collaborate with DINUM teams on shared applications and standards.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Scaleway: Major French cloud infrastructure provider offering compute, storage, and managed services. Comparable EU sovereignty positioning, but a broad incumbent serving commercial and SMB customers rather than the libre/ESS niche.

Direct peers

• Framasoft: Major French free software association offering a comparable portfolio of decentralized, ethical online tools (Frama Drive, Frama Chat, Frama Space, etc.) to NGOs and individuals. Closest direct peer in scope, geography, and values.
• Disroot: Ethical hosting collective offering cloud storage, email, chat, and collaboration tools to privacy-conscious users and organizations. Similar CHATONS-style cooperative ethos and bundled libre software approach, though primarily Dutch rather than French.
• Cozy Cloud: French provider of a personal cloud and collaboration suite for organizations and individuals, positioned around data sovereignty and open-source principles. Comparable product scope (cloud storage, document collaboration) and customer base (mission-driven organizations).
• Zaclys: French non-profit association (CHATONS member) offering cloud storage, email, and collaboration tools to individuals and associations. Comparable subscription model, comparable cooperative positioning, same CHATONS collective.
• Open Source Politics: Libre software publisher specializing in Decidim participatory democracy platforms for governments. While IndieHosters manages OSP's infrastructure under LaSuite.coop, both serve the same public-sector/mission-driven segment with overlapping libre stacks.

Emerging players

• Yunohost: French-led open-source project enabling self-hosting of web services for individuals and small organizations. Partial overlap in target users (privacy-conscious non-technical) and libre software stack, but IndieHosters manages the hosting whereas YunoHost is a self-managed tool.

Others

• Le Bureau.coop: French cooperative handling domain name management, listed as a co-founding partner in LaSuite.coop. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but operates adjacent cooperative services for mission-driven organizations.
• Algoo: French libre software services company operating the Galae email service that IndieHosters resells. Adjacent ecosystem participant providing complementary email infrastructure via the SOGo/Mailcow stack.
• DINUM / La Suite Numérique: French interministerial digital directorate developing La Suite Numérique, a sovereign productivity suite for government agents. Direct overlap in libre tool portfolio (Nextcloud, Element, etc.) and target segment, but as a public-sector initiative rather than a hosting company.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubforge.libre.sh/indiehosters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiehosters
• Xx.com/IndieHosters
• Facebookfacebook.com/indiehosters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IndieHosters