diaspora*

Pioneering decentralised social network run on independent pods, with aspects for private sharing.

Open sourceSelf-hostableSocial networks

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 3
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About diaspora*

diaspora* is one of the earliest decentralised social networks, started in 2010 as a privacy-focused alternative to Facebook. Instead of one company's servers, it runs on independent servers called pods; you sign up on any pod and connect with people across the whole network. Its signature feature is aspects, which let you sort contacts into groups such as family or work and choose exactly who sees each post, an idea later copied by others. You don't need to use your real name, you own your data, and hashtags help you find interests. The software is free and open source under the AGPL and maintained by volunteers. You can join an existing pod or host one if you have sysadmin skills. It is used through a mobile-friendly web interface. diaspora* has a small, loyal community, but development is slow and it doesn't federate with Mastodon and the ActivityPub fediverse.

Best for: Privacy-minded users who want circles-based sharing on a decentralised network.

What works

Aspects give fine control over who sees posts
No real-name requirement; you own your data
Self-hostable pods

Why people leave

Small community and slow development
Doesn't federate with Mastodon and ActivityPub
No official mobile apps

Top diaspora* alternatives

See all 3

1
Friendica
Similar Facebook-style features, and it also connects to the ActivityPub fediverse.
66.5
2
Mastodon
A much larger decentralised network, focused on microblogging.
62.6
3
Facebook
The mainstream network if reaching friends matters most.
59.6

Why people left diaspora*

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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diaspora*: common questions

Is diaspora* free?

Yes. diaspora* is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is diaspora* open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at diaspora/diaspora. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does diaspora* run on?

diaspora* is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to diaspora*?

The highest-ranked diaspora* alternatives right now are Friendica, Mastodon and Facebook. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 diaspora* alternatives

diaspora* facts

4 of 4 verified

License: AGPL-3.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: AGPL-3.0 (GNU Affero General Public License v3.0).”
Architecture: Independent pods; Checked Oct 25, 2026diasporafoundation.org(opens source in a new tab); “diaspora* exists on independently run servers (“pods”) all over the world.”
Aspects: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026diasporafoundation.org(opens source in a new tab); “Find out more » Aspects diaspora* pioneered the concept of aspects”
Real name: Not required; Checked Oct 25, 2026diasporafoundation.org(opens source in a new tab); “Unlike some networks, you don’t have to use your real identity.”