Instead of diaspora*, try one of these 11.
Every alternative is lined up against diaspora* on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. diaspora* sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Likes
diaspora*What you have now
Privacy-friendly federated social network you can self-host.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
Real-time public conversation and news.
PriceFree
premium $8/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Bluesky#2
Decentralised social network with a custom feed.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Mastodon#3
Decentralised microblogging across federated servers.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Tumblr#4
Blogging social platform for sharing interests, art, and media.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
Minds#5
Open-source social network that pays creators for content.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
Gab#6
Free-speech social network running decentralized open-source software.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Friendica#7
Distributed social network merging many platforms into one feed.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
Steemit#8
Blockchain social site paying rewards for popular posts.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
Pleroma#9
Lightweight federated microblogging server on open protocols.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
Misskey#10
Customizable federated microblogging platform with rich features.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
nostr#11
Open protocol for censorship-resistant decentralized social networking.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
LikesVisit ↗
How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.
diaspora* alternatives at a glance
diaspora* is a free social app. We compared 11 alternatives: 8 are open source, 9 are completely free, 5 can be self-hosted and 0 work fully offline. The most popular is X (Twitter), with 2k likes.
Best open-source optionMastodon
Decentralised microblogging across federated servers.
Free · Open source · Self‑hostableBest to self-hostFriendica
Distributed social network merging many platforms into one feed.
Free · Open source · Self‑hostable