Guide
Trystero vs PeerJS
Both libraries handle WebRTC connections for you. PeerJS connects you to a known peer ID. Trystero connects peers that join the same room.
Start with your connection model
PeerJS fits an app that shares peer IDs and opens connections or calls to them. Trystero fits an app organized around rooms, where peers should find each other and exchange named messages.
PeerJS uses PeerServer for connection signaling, with a hosted service or a server you run. Trystero uses public Nostr relays by default and offers other signaling strategies. Neither library removes the need for TURN on networks that block direct connections.
Comparison
| Question | Trystero | PeerJS |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Rooms, peer events, actions, requests, media streams | Peer IDs, data connections, and media calls |
| Discovery | Strategy-based discovery through Nostr, MQTT, BitTorrent, and more | PeerServer for metadata and signaling |
| Rooms | Built in with joinRoom() | Usually modeled by your app on top of peer IDs |
| Data API | Named actions for messages, binary data, progress, and requests | DataConnection objects with send and receive events |
| How users meet | Join the same room | Share the destination peer ID |
A room and a chat action
Each peer creates the same action. Send after a connection is established, then handle incoming messages in your UI.
import {joinRoom} from 'trystero'
const room = joinRoom({appId: 'com.example.jamsession'}, 'lobby')
const chat = room.makeAction('chat')
chat.onMessage = (message, {peerId}) => {
addMessage(peerId, message)
}
room.onPeerJoin = peerId => {
chat.send({text: 'hello room'}, {target: peerId})
}What else your app needs
Account identity, durable storage, and permission rules still belong to your app. A peer ID is a connection identifier, not proof of who a user is.
Trystero includes transfer progress, receive approval, and request actions. PeerJS exposes data connections and media calls that you can build those behaviors around. Choose the API that fits your app and test it under your expected network conditions.