Self-host Iva
eve-0.51.1-iva.5Telegram AI assistant with a self-hosted memory vault
- Stars
- 273
- RAM
- 512MB
- Storage
- ~1.5GB free for Iva itself, plus ~2GB for swapfile on boxes under 1.5GB RAM
- Ports
- 8723 (Local eve HTTP server (loopback only) for Telegram poller bridge and internal API), 8724 (Telegram userbot MCP proxy (optional, opt-in))
- Requires
- Node.js, Python3, SQLite
What is Iva?
Iva is a personal AI assistant that runs inside Telegram on your own server. You send it voice notes, photos, PDFs, and messages, and it organizes everything into a layered memory system: daily transcripts are condensed each night into weekly, monthly, and yearly digests, plus structured cards for people, projects, and choices. The memory lives in a private Git repository as plain Markdown, compatible with Obsidian. Iva transcribes voice with Deepgram nova-3, describes images using your chosen model provider's vision capability, searches the web via Tavily, Exa, Parallel, or Brave, and links to Google Workspace apps — Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Sheets, Docs, Tasks — through a guided setup. It supports multiple model providers: OpenCode Go, Ollama Cloud, OpenRouter, your ChatGPT subscription (via Codex), or a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. An optional userbot connects your personal Telegram account to read groups and reply as you, with server-enforced anti-ban guardrails. Security gates sanitize inbound content for prompt injection and redact secrets outbound. Installation is a single curl | bash command on Ubuntu/Debian or macOS, which installs system dependencies, Node 24+, builds the agent, and configures systemd user services. The local eve server listens on port 8723 (loopback only). No domain, HTTPS, or reverse proxy is required — Telegram long-polling handles transport. The project is MIT-licensed and actively maintained.
Should you self-host Iva?
Iva scores 49/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #51 of 110 in Chat. It has 273 GitHub stars.
It shipped 10 stable releases in the past year. The latest, eve-0.51.1-iva.5, came out on 26 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 1 days.
Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. It is MIT-licensed and written mostly in Typescript.
Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Onyx Community Edition (80/100, 33 042 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See Iva vs Onyx Community Edition side by side.
Features
- Decision cards with history
- Google Workspace integration
- Layered long-term memory
- Personal CRM
- Prompt injection protection
- Rich Telegram replies
- Secret redaction
- Semantic Search
- Skills and MCP
- Tasks and reminders
- Telegram userbotOpt-in, at your own risk (ToS violation possible)
- Token usage accounting
- Vision (image description)
- Voice transcription
- Web Search
Iva README
FAQ
When should I not use Iva?
Not for team/multi-user chat UIs (single-user by design), not if you need local model weights (calls cloud APIs), not if you want a hosted no-ops product (requires VPS ownership).
Can it remember things long-term?
Yes, that's the core feature: daily transcripts, nightly rollups, and an always-on core file the model sees every turn.
Do I need a domain or HTTPS?
No. Iva long-polls the Telegram API and hands updates to the agent on 127.0.0.1, so no port is opened and no certificate is needed.
What models does it support?
Four providers: OpenCode Go and Ollama Cloud (API key, OpenAI-compatible), OpenRouter (300+ models), and Codex (your ChatGPT subscription via OAuth, no API key). Photos use the provider's vision model.
Does it work in Russian?
Yes, both the setup wizard and agent run in Russian or English. Voice notes are transcribed by Deepgram nova-3 with auto-detection across Russian, Uzbek, and English.
How much does it cost to run?
About $9/month: one model subscription plus a small VPS, with voice on Deepgram's free tier.
Is my data private?
Your memory is a plain-markdown vault in a private git repo you own; no third party stores it. Model calls and voice transcription transit provider servers.
Can I run a Telegram AI bot with my own API key?
Yes, Iva runs entirely on your own keys: one model provider key (OpenCode Go, Ollama Cloud, OpenRouter, or ChatGPT subscription), a Deepgram key for voice, and a bot token from BotFather.
What is the best self-hosted Telegram AI assistant?
Iva is a self-hosted Telegram AI assistant with layered memory that turns messages into an Obsidian-compatible vault, installing with one command on a cheap VPS.
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