Meta's original social network for friends, family, Groups, Marketplace and local events.
- Verified facts
- 3 of 3
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Facebook
Facebook is still the largest general-purpose social network, and for many people it is where family updates, school and neighbourhood Groups, local events and second-hand sales on Marketplace happen. You build a profile, connect with friends, follow Pages and join Groups, and your feed mixes posts from people you know with recommended Reels and content picked by Meta's algorithm. Messaging lives in the separate Messenger app. It is free and funded by targeted advertising, which relies on detailed data about what you do on and off Facebook; an ad-free subscription is offered in some regions. It runs in any browser and on Android and iPhone. Its strengths are reach and community features, especially Groups. The weaknesses are just as familiar: an increasingly recommendation-driven feed, privacy concerns and a user base that skews older, which is why younger users tend to spend more time on Instagram or TikTok.
Best for: Keeping up with family, local Groups, events and Marketplace listings.
Pros and cons
What works
- Huge reach across age groups and countries
- Groups and Events are hard to replace for local communities
- Marketplace for buying and selling locally
Why people leave
- Feed increasingly filled with recommended content
- Extensive data collection for targeted ads
- Younger audiences have largely moved elsewhere
Top Facebook alternatives
See all 6- 1
Instagram66.5Meta's photo and video app, where many younger users share instead.
- 2
Mastodon62.6A decentralised network without ads or algorithmic feeds, run by independent servers.
- 3
Friendica59.6Federated, Facebook-style profiles, groups and events that you can self-host.
- 4
Nextdoor57.2Focused purely on local neighbourhood news, recommendations and listings.
- 5
diaspora*55.3A decentralised network with aspects for sharing only with chosen circles.
Why people left Facebook
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Facebook, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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Facebook: common questions
Is Facebook free?
Yes, Facebook is free to use.
Is Facebook open source?
No, Facebook is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Mastodon, Friendica and diaspora*.
What platforms does Facebook run on?
Facebook is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Facebook?
The highest-ranked Facebook alternatives right now are Instagram, Mastodon and Friendica. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.