Best social networks
Microblogging, photo, video and community social platforms, from the big networks to decentralised fediverse, AT Protocol and Nostr alternatives.
28 apps, ordered by visits from AppBreakup and how often our research lists each one as an alternative. Open any app to see its alternatives.
All social networks
- Alternatives to Mastodon
Free, open-source, decentralised microblogging across thousands of independently run servers.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Bluesky
Open, Twitter-style social network on the AT Protocol, with custom feeds and portable accounts.
FreeOpen sourceWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Instagram
Meta's photo and short-video network built around Reels, Stories and direct messages.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Misskey
Feature-rich, open-source fediverse microblogging platform from Japan, with emoji reactions and drive storage.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to X (Twitter)
The microblogging platform formerly called Twitter, for real-time posts, news and public conversation.
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Pixelfed
Open-source, ad-free photo-sharing network on the fediverse, an Instagram-style alternative.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Reddit
Network of topic-based communities where posts and comments rise or fall by community votes.
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android - ThAlternatives to Threads
Meta's text-first social app linked to Instagram, with optional sharing to the fediverse.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Damus
Open-source Nostr client for posting to a decentralised, censorship-resistant network with Bitcoin tips.
Free plan + paidOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Lemmy
Federated, open-source Reddit alternative with communities, voting and threaded comments.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Akkoma
Expressive fediverse server forked from Pleroma, with emoji reactions, rich markup and Mastodon app support.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Facebook
Meta's original social network for friends, family, Groups, Marketplace and local events.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - PiAlternatives to PieFed
Open-source, ad-free federated forum that works with Lemmy and adds stronger filtering tools.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to TikTok
Short-form video platform whose recommendation feed made it the centre of online trends.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Mbin
Community-run fediverse platform mixing Reddit-style threads with microblogging.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to GoToSocial
Lightweight ActivityPub server written in Go, built for small and single-user fediverse instances.
Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted - Alternatives to BeReal
Photo app that asks everyone to post one unfiltered front-and-back camera shot at a random time each day.
FreeiOS, Android - Alternatives to Primal
Polished Nostr social app with fast feeds, a built-in Bitcoin wallet and open-source clients.
Free plan + paidOpen sourceWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Friendica
Decentralised, Facebook-style social network with profiles, groups and events, federated across protocols.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Tumblr
Blogging and reblogging network beloved by fandoms, artists and niche internet culture.
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Sharkey
Fork of Misskey that adds Mastodon API support, federated post editing and other fediverse features.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Loops (video)
Federated, open-source short-video app from the Pixelfed project, a TikTok-style feed without ads.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Android, Self-hosted - Alternatives to diaspora*
Pioneering decentralised social network run on independent pods, with aspects for private sharing.
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted - Alternatives to Farcaster
Decentralised social network where you own your identity, popular with crypto builders, now run by Neynar.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to Pinterest
Visual discovery and bookmarking platform for saving ideas, recipes, styles and products to boards.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension - Alternatives to Ivory
- Alternatives to Nextdoor
Neighbourhood social network for local news, safety alerts, recommendations and free or for-sale items.
FreeWeb, iOS, Android - Alternatives to LinkedIn
Microsoft's professional network for careers, hiring, B2B content and business networking.
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android
Our picks by need
Popular comparisons
Common questions
What are the best social networks?
Based on how often our research lists them as alternatives and visits from AppBreakup, the leading social networks right now are Mastodon, Bluesky, Instagram, Misskey and X (Twitter).
Are there free social networks?
Yes. Mastodon (open source), Bluesky (free), Instagram (free), Misskey (open source) and X (Twitter) (free plan + paid) have a free option, out of 27 free or freemium apps we track.
Which social networks are open source?
Mastodon, Bluesky, Misskey, Pixelfed, Damus and Lemmy, and 9 more.