Pixelfed AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Microblogs

The best Microblog alternative to Pixelfed is Mastodon, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Pixelfed and 19 are Microblogs so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Microblog alternatives to Pixelfed are Bluesky, Tumblr, Minds and Gridsky.

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Pixelfed alternatives are mainly Social Networks but may also be Microblogs or Photo Sharing Apps.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Pixelfed.
Pixelfed iconPixelfed
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Pixelfed is an image sharing platform with focus on Privacy, Safety and Security, an ethical alternative to centralized platforms like Instagram.

More about Pixelfed
More about Pixelfed
Pixelfed alternatives page was last updated Apr 19, 2025
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Alternatives
  1. Mastodon icon

    Mastodon

     525 likes
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    Decentralized and federated social platform with no ads, focusing on personal interaction, and offering 500 character posts, custom emojis, content warnings, and robust moderation tools.

    129 Mastodon alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    Screenshot of the Mastodon web interface

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  Federated
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Fediverse
    5. ActivityPub icon  Support for ActivityPub
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  No Censorship
    8.  Two-factor Authentication
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Support for @mentions
    11.  Multiple Account support
    12.  Self Destructing Messages

    Mastodon VS Pixelfed

     

    • Almost everyone thinks Mastodon is a great Pixelfed alternative.

    • Mastodon is the most popular Web-based, Android, iPhone & iPad alternative to Pixelfed.

    • Mastodon is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Pixelfed.

    • Mastodon is Free and Open SourcePixelfed is also Free and Open Source
    • Mastodon is Privacy focusedPixelfed is not according to our users
  2. Bluesky icon

    Bluesky

     70 likes
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    An open social network that gives creators independence from platforms, developers the freedom to build, and users a choice in their experience.

    64 Bluesky alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Bluesky screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Support for @mentions
    5.  Multiple Account support
    6.  Two-factor Authentication
    7.  Personalized Recommendations
    8.  No registration required

    Bluesky VS Pixelfed

     
  4. Tumblr icon

    Tumblr

     458 likes
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    Tumblr is a place to express yourself, discover yourself, and bond over the stuff you love. It's where your interests connect you with your people.

    115 Tumblr alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Tumblr screenshot 1
    Tumblr screenshot 2
    Tumblr screenshot 3

    Tumblr Features

    1.  Social feed
    2.  Search by tags
    3.  Tagging
    4.  Dark Mode
    5. IFTTT icon  IFTTT Integration
    6.  Image Sharing
    7.  Photo Gallery
    8.  Blog template
    9.  Progressive Web App

    Tumblr VS Pixelfed

     

    • Tumblr is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Pixelfed.

    • Tumblr is Free and ProprietaryPixelfed is Free and Open Source
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Minds icon
    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
    Learn More
  6. Minds icon

    Minds

     325 likes
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    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.

    125 Minds alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Minds.com homepage

    Properties

    1.  Free Speech
    2.  Security-focused
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  Encrypted Chat
    3.  No Censorship
    4.  Monetization
    5.  Gamification
    6.  Podcast Hosting
    7.  Tokenization
    8.  Secure Chat
    9.  Share screenshots

    Minds VS Pixelfed

     
  7. Gridsky icon

    Gridsky

     6 likes
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    Gridsky brings the visual charm of Instagram to Bluesky, offering a delightful client with a grid-based interface and easy scrolling. Focused on photo content, Gridsky creates a minimal, immersive experience with innovative ways to interact with feeds and profiles. Accessible online for seamless photo sharing.

    10 Gridsky alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    Gridsky screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes

    Gridsky VS Pixelfed

     
  8. GoToSocial icon

    GoToSocial

     9 likes
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    GoToSocial is an ActivityPub social network server, written in Golang.

    33 GoToSocial alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Kubernetes
    • YunoHost
    a screenshot of the GoToSocial web interface

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1. ActivityPub icon  Support for ActivityPub
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Decentralized
    4.  Support for @mentions
    5.  Federated
    6.  Fediverse
    7.  Community-based

    GoToSocial VS Pixelfed

     

    • GoToSocial is the most popular Mac & Linux alternative to Pixelfed.

    • GoToSocial is Free and Open SourcePixelfed is also Free and Open Source
    • GoToSocial is LightweightPixelfed is not according to our users
  10. Soapbox.pub icon

    Soapbox.pub

     10 likes
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    Soapbox is customizable open-source software that puts the power of social media in the hands of the people. Feature-rich and hyper-focused on providing a user experience to rival Big Tech, Soapbox is already home to some of the biggest alternative social platforms on the...

    37 Soapbox.pub alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Screenshot of Soapbox home feed.

    Soapbox.pub Features

    1.  Fediverse

    Soapbox.pub VS Pixelfed

     
  11. Hive Social icon

    Hive Social

     7 likes
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    Share content and connect to people you love on Hive.

    26 Hive Social alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Hive Social screenshot 1
    Hive Social screenshot 2
    Hive Social screenshot 3

    Hive Social Features

    1.  Threaded Conversations
    2.  Image Sharing
    3. Spotify icon  Spotify integration
    4.  Private messaging
    5.  Hashtags
    6.  Music Recommendation
    7.  Photo Gallery
    8.  Social feed

    Hive Social VS Pixelfed

     
  12. Sharkey icon

    Sharkey

     3 likes
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    Sharkey is a Misskey fork following upstream changes when possible, with added features. Like any other ActivityPub software Sharkey can interface with the thousands of servers that form the fediverse, an interconnected social network, working in tandem with software such as...

    13 Sharkey alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Sharkey screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1. ActivityPub icon  Support for ActivityPub
    2.  Decentralized
    3.  Fediverse
    4.  Federated

    Sharkey VS Pixelfed

     
  13. Identi.ca icon

    Identi.ca

     56 likes
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    identi.ca is a free personal web server that implements a distributed social networking service. It is based on pump.io, a free software which make up the distributed social network.

    96 Identi.ca alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    Identi.ca screenshot 1

    Identi.ca VS Pixelfed

     
  14. Cato.social icon

    Cato.social

     3 likes
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    Cato is an X (Twitter) alternative where you can post Meows, get Not So Anonymous Messages, connect with other Catos & grow your online social network.

    100 Cato.social alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    Welcome to Catzby Social Network

    Properties

    1.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Hashtags
    2.  Threaded Conversations
    3.  Progressive Web App

    Cato.social VS Pixelfed

     
  15. Ally icon

    Ally

     2 likes
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    Ally is a social network that makes it easy to find new things to love with the help of your friends.

    10 Ally alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    Browse recommendations from your friends
    Ask for recommendations
    Help your friends

    Ally Features

    1.  No Coding Required
    2.  User Rating
    3.  Cloud Sync
    4.  Crowdsourced
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  No registration required

    Ally VS Pixelfed

     
12 of 19 Pixelfed alternatives