Private and open-source alternatives to X
13 social networks rated against the same public privacy criteria as X (Twitter), with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source. Only parts of the recommendation algorithm have been published.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. The Android app includes Google AdMob, Crashlytics and Firebase Analytics.
- No ads or data sales: no. Funded largely by targeted advertising based on user activity and data from ad partners.
- Independent audit: no. No independent audit is published.
The alternatives
nostr Grade A
Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is an open protocol for publishing signed messages through independent relays, with identity based on public keys. Many independent clients and relays implement it.
nostr scores 100 out of 100 (grade A) on the social networks criteria. It meets 1 of 1 criteria: open source..
Akkoma Grade B
Federated, self-hostable microblogging server built on ActivityPub, forked from Pleroma, with emoji reactions, Markdown posts and low resource use.
Akkoma scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
diaspora* Grade B
Decentralized social network made of independently run servers called pods, with aspects to control who sees each post.
diaspora* scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Friendica Grade B
Federated, self-hostable social network that connects over ActivityPub, diaspora* and other protocols, with per-post access lists and RSS import.
Friendica scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
GoToSocial Grade B
Lightweight, self-hostable ActivityPub server written in Go, used with Mastodon-compatible client apps.
GoToSocial scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Lemmy Grade B
Federated link aggregator and discussion platform built on ActivityPub, organized into communities hosted on independent servers.
Lemmy scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Mastodon Grade B
Open source, decentralized microblogging platform built on ActivityPub, run as a network of independent servers with chronological timelines.
Mastodon scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Mbin Grade B
Federated, self-hostable link aggregator, discussion and microblogging platform built on ActivityPub, forked from /kbin.
Mbin scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Misskey Grade B
Federated, self-hostable microblogging platform built on ActivityPub, with emoji reactions, customizable web interface, drive storage and channels.
Misskey scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
PieFed Grade B
Federated, self-hostable link aggregator and forum built on ActivityPub, compatible with Lemmy communities.
PieFed scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Pixelfed Grade B
Federated, self-hostable photo sharing platform built on ActivityPub, with chronological feeds, albums, stories and no ads.
Pixelfed scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the social networks criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Bluesky Grade D
Microblogging social network built on the open AT Protocol, run by Bluesky Social PBC, with custom feeds, composable moderation and account portability.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Bluesky scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the social networks criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
Discourse Grade F
Open source, self-hostable discussion platform that works as a forum, mailing list or long-form chat room. A hosted version is sold by its developer.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Discourse scores 30 out of 100 (grade F) on the social networks criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source.