Ferdium — All Your Messaging Services in One App

Introduction

Ferdium is a free, open source desktop app that aggregates your messaging services, email clients, and web apps into a single window. Based on the original Franz project, Ferdium removes usage restrictions and adds features like workspaces, custom CSS injection, and a built-in to-do list. It runs each service in its own isolated webview so you stay logged into everything simultaneously.

What Ferdium Does

• Combines Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Gmail, and 100+ other services in one window
• Organizes services into workspaces for separating personal and work contexts
• Provides unified notification badges and a global unread message counter
• Supports custom recipes (service definitions) for adding any web app
• Injects custom CSS and JavaScript per service for personalization

Architecture Overview

Ferdium is an Electron application that loads each configured service in a separate BrowserView (webview). Each webview runs the service's web version with isolated cookies and storage, preventing cross-service data leakage. A recipe system defines how each service is loaded — specifying the URL, notification badge selectors, and unread count extraction logic. The main process manages window layout, workspace switching, and the system tray icon with aggregated notification counts.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Download pre-built binaries for macOS, Windows, and Linux from the releases page
• Add services through the built-in service catalog or by entering custom URLs
• Create workspaces to group services (e.g., "Work" and "Personal")
• Configure notification behavior, do-not-disturb schedules, and startup options in settings
• Optionally self-host a Ferdium server for syncing service configurations across devices

Key Features

• No service limits or premium paywalls — all features are free
• Workspace switching lets you focus on one context at a time
• Built-in password lock protects your sessions when stepping away
• Custom CSS injection per service enables dark mode and layout tweaks
• Split-view mode displays two services side by side

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Franz — the original project, but restricts free users to three services with nag screens
• Rambox — similar multi-service aggregator but the free version has limited features
• Wavebox — commercial Chromium-based aggregator with deeper integrations but paid licensing
• Tangram — lightweight GTK-based alternative for Linux, simpler but fewer features

FAQ

Q: Does Ferdium use a lot of memory? A: Each service runs in its own Chromium webview, so memory scales with the number of active services. Disabling services you are not using or enabling hibernation for inactive ones reduces memory usage.

Q: Can I sync my services across computers? A: Yes. Ferdium offers a self-hosted server for syncing service configurations, or you can manually export and import your setup.

Q: Does it support notifications on all platforms? A: Yes. Ferdium uses native system notifications on macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus a tray icon with an aggregated unread badge.

Q: Is it different from just using browser tabs? A: Ferdium keeps services running independently with isolated sessions, unified notifications, and workspace organization — features that browser tabs do not provide natively.

Sources

• https://github.com/ferdium/ferdium-app
• https://ferdium.org/