Open Source Mastodon AlternativesTop Social Networks & Microblogs like Mastodon

The best open source alternative to Mastodon is Pixelfed. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Mastodon and loads of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Mastodon are Bluesky, diaspora*, Minds and Pleroma.

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Most Mastodon alternatives are Social Networks, but you can also narrow the list to Microblogs or Mastodon Clients. Another popular filter is Open Source.

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Mastodon alternatives page was last updated Oct 1, 2026

Pixelfed
293 likes
Federated image-sharing platform with privacy, safety, no tracking or ads, algorithm-free chronological timelines, open-source code, comprehensive moderation, supports self-hosting, ActivityPub protocol, hashtag discovery, responsive mobile access, and ethical data control.
143 Pixelfed alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Photo Sharing
Origin
Canada
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
Cloudron
Canada
+7
Good alternative?Is Pixelfed a good alternative to Mastodon?

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3comments
Pixelfed vs Mastodon Comments
Negative comment by social-remodeler · Oct 2, 2024
Pixelfed is a good combination and addition to Mastodon as both have different purposes.

Pixelfed replaces Instagram and Tumblr in the fediverse.
Positive comment by Kelson V · Nov 19, 2025
If Mastodon is like Twitter, Pux3lfed is like Instagram. Depending on how you want to use your social media, they can be complementary
Negative comment by Guest · Dec 26, 2022
Pixelfed is an alternative to Tumblr or Instagram, not to a microblogging platform like Mastodon
3 of 3 comments
Pixelfed is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Pixelfed is Security-focusedMastodon is not according to our users
Bluesky
128 likes
An open social network that gives creators independence from platforms, developers the freedom to build, and users a choice in their experience.
90 Bluesky alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
OpenAPK
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Bluesky a good alternative to Mastodon?

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2comments
Bluesky vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by R C · Dec 11, 2024
Lot of big name power users and a massive community make Blue Sky good. Blue Sky has a lot of really cool features like "Feed" and "Labels" that will only continue to grow.
Negative comment by hfVgd_ · Nov 17, 2024
While both are open source and decentralized, Bluesky promotes algorithmic timelines and is currently only compatible with the Bluesky website and client apps.

Mastodon instances are decentralized, allowing communication between multiple social networking services which are part of the Fediverse.
2 of 2 comments
Bluesky is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
diaspora*
451 likes
Diaspora is a federated social networking service, designed to be a more privacy-aware alternative to Facebook . Share what you want, with whom you want.
130 diaspora* alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Ruby
United States
+2
Good alternative?Is diaspora* a good alternative to Mastodon?

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2comments
diaspora* vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by John Fastman · Apr 16, 2017
Diaspora is more like a Facebook alternative; Mastodon is a Twitter alternative. Both are open-source and non-profit and aren't based on exploiting people's privacy for money-making/selling you out to adverisers or passing on everything about you (contacts, opinions, likes, location, interests...) to government authorities. Facebook does do this.
Negative comment by social-remodeler · Oct 2, 2024
Mastodon is a X-like microblogging Server and App, whereas Diaspora is a Facebook-like macroblogging Server and App.
2 of 2 comments
diaspora* is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Ad
Minds
An open-source platform for decentralized social networking. Users can monetize posts through ads or monthly support, engaging in various features such as Blogs, Videos, and secure private chats. Minds supports free speech and fa...

https://www.minds.com
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Minds
331 likes
An open-source platform for decentralized social networking. Users can monetize posts through ads or monthly support, engaging in various features such as Blogs, Videos, and secure private chats. Minds supports free speech and facilitates sharing across networks and exploring global trends.
133 Minds alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
United States
+8
Good alternative?Is Minds a good alternative to Mastodon?

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2comments
Minds vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by AnisBarghouthi · May 21, 2021
Minds is a blockchain-based mix of social-media and micro-blogging site and recently it added a Matrix client (a fork of Element) with E2E encryption.
Positive comment by Guest · Jan 10, 2023
Due to educational gamification of its networks and applications.
2 of 2 comments
Minds is Freemium and Open SourceMastodon is Free and Open Source
Minds is Security-focusedMastodon is not according to our users
Pleroma
72 likes
Pleroma is a free, federated social networking server built on open protocols. It is compatible with GNU Social, Mastodon, and many other ActivityPub and OStatus implementations.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Good alternative?Is Pleroma a good alternative to Mastodon?

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2comments
Pleroma vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by social-remodeler · Oct 2, 2024
Mastodon and Pleroma are both microblogging Server and Apps, so task and purpose is the same on the Fediverse.

Any fediverse software is more additional than comparable to Mastodon, so Pleroma is the currently the only alternative to Mastodon.

You should compare both as you don't need both at the same time.
Positive comment by Guest · Jan 10, 2023
It supports other open source alternatives to Mastodon such as OStatus
2 of 2 comments
Pleroma is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Friendica
143 likes
Friendica is a distributed social network application. Which allow users to connect with others via their own Friendica server, but may also fully integrate contacts from other platforms including Twitter, diaspora*, Pump.io and StatusNet into their 'newsfeed'.
125 Friendica alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
Australia
Platforms
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
PHP
Docker
Australia
+3
Good alternative?Is Friendica a good alternative to Mastodon?
Misskey
35 likes
A forever evolving, sophisticated microblogging platform.
66 Misskey alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
Japan
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Japan
+9
Good alternative?Is Misskey a good alternative to Mastodon?

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1comment
Misskey vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by Mano · Jan 14, 2025
This is one of the better alternatives to Mastodon if you intend to have a personal or public server. Visitors can easily check the instances a server is federating with. It has a better looking web interface, though on big servers, that can grind your browser to halt for a number of seconds.

It also allows users to react to posts with custom emojis
1 of 1 comments
Misskey is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Misskey is CustomizableMastodon is not according to our users
Gab
258 likes
Gab Social is an open source and fully decentralized social network powered by the Gab Platform. It is the new social network of Gab.com. This change was made to further Gab's commitment to its users trust and privacy online.
119 Gab alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
United States
Alerts
Warning
Platforms
Online
Android
United States
+3
Good alternative?Is Gab a good alternative to Mastodon?

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3comments
Warning
Gab is less moderated compared to other social networks and could be offensive to some people
Gab vs Mastodon Comments
Negative comment by social-remodeler · Oct 2, 2024
As long as Gab is a freemium product it is no alternative to Mastodon which is a free and open source Server and App.
Positive comment by Kedman · Jul 7, 2021
Gab is godless compare to other social network
Positive comment by Guest · Nov 6, 2020
Gab can connect to the rest of the Mastodon network anyway! It's like Twitter but even easier to use and user-friendly. You don't need an account to look at stuff. And of course, free speech.
3 of 3 comments
Gab is Freemium and Open SourceMastodon is Free and Open Source
Phanpy
25 likes
A minimalistic opinionated Mastodon web client.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Mastodon Client
Microblog
Origin
Malaysia
Platforms
Online
Malaysia
+2
Good alternative?Is Phanpy a good alternative to Mastodon?

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1comment
Phanpy vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by Kelson V · Nov 19, 2025
Phanpy is an alternative to the Mastodon app, not to the network or server software. It runs well on both desktop and mobile, and has some really helpful features like a catch-up mode and clustering boosts together to emphasize what people are actually posting themselves.
1 of 1 comments
Phanpy is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Phanpy is a Mastodon Client Mastodon is a Social Network
mu social
14 likes
Open source European social platform offering privacy by design, no ads or tracking, topic and region custom feeds, plural verification, media sharing, event RSVP, edit history, friendly communities, regular updates, and Bluesky network compatibility.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
Netherlands
EU
Platforms
Online
Netherlands
EU
+3
Good alternative?Is mu social a good alternative to Mastodon?
GNU social
98 likes
GNU social is a continuation of the StatusNet project. It is social communication software for both public and private communications. It is widely supported and has a large userbase.
92 GNU social alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Microblog
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Self-Hosted
United States
Good alternative?Is GNU social a good alternative to Mastodon?

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1comment
Discontinued
Not actively developed/maintained anymore.
GNU social vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Jan 10, 2023
It is not reliant on google analytics for its android applications (I found this out using Exodus Privacy) and is more reliably maintained as a result.
1 of 1 comments
GNU social is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source
Mbin
16 likes
Mbin: a federated content aggregator, voting, discussion and microblogging platform (By the community, for the community).
52 Mbin alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Social Network
Social News
Platforms
Online
Good alternative?Is Mbin a good alternative to Mastodon?

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1comment
Mbin vs Mastodon Comments
Positive comment by Mano · Jan 19, 2025
It integrates with mastodon and lemmy as well, which makes it a good 2-in-1
1 of 1 comments
Mbin is Free and Open SourceMastodon is also Free and Open Source

12 of 71 Mastodon alternatives

Open Source Mastodon AlternativesTop Social Networks & Microblogs like Mastodon

Alternatives list

Pixelfed

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Bluesky

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diaspora*

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Minds

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Pleroma

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Friendica

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Misskey

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Gab

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Phanpy

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mu social

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GNU social

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Mbin

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