flat.social vs Overte

flat.social is a browser-based virtual meeting and events space where people move around shared rooms and talk with nearby participants. Audio volume and video connection respond to proximity. A flat can combine Open Spatial rooms for mingling, Conference rooms for presentations, and Chat rooms for text. Participants can draw, write and add images to shared whiteboards and sticky notes; built-in activities include football, chess, surfing, dice and arcade cabinets. Conference rooms support screen sharing and speaker or gallery layouts. Guests can join from a link, and the service runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. The Free plan costs nothing and allows up to five people at once with unlimited session length. A Day Pass costs $2, paid once, billed at $2 per seat for 24 hours, requires at least 10 seats and supports up to 100 people. Monthly costs $6 a month, billed at $6 per seat per month, with 10 to 100 seats, attendance insights, branding removal, roles and advanced access control, and priority support. Larger capacity can be discussed with the company. Slack users can start a flat with /flat and schedule recurring weekly events.

Overte is open-source software for creating, hosting, and exploring virtual worlds through VR or desktop experiences. Users can meet in worlds and attend or host live VR events; world creation and editing can be collaborative. VR support includes body tracking, and a single world can scale to up to 500 users. JavaScript scripting can add games, interactables, interface elements, and custom applications. Users can import 3D objects, and the software includes spatial audio and physics powered by the Bullet engine. Overte is free under the Apache 2.0 license, with Linux and Windows releases, source code, and Docker images listed for download. It can be self-hosted, including on a home server; the project says there is no central authority and no account is required. Overte e.V., a non-profit association registered in Germany, is behind the project, though membership is not required to use or develop the software. Community discussion is available on Matrix and Discord, with the Matrix Space bridged to Discord. Documentation covers security for Interface and servers, including crash reporting and asset security.