Instead of Pixelfed, try one of these 12.
Every alternative is lined up against Pixelfed on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Pixelfed sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Likes
PixelfedWhat you have now
Decentralised, ad-free photo sharing.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
Photo and video sharing from Meta.
PriceFree
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 ↗
500px#6
Photo portfolio and sharing community for photographers.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
Pixabay#7
Free library of stock photos, vectors, and illustrations.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
Pixelix#8
Android client for Pixelfed with messaging and home widgets.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
GoToSocial#9
Lightweight Go-based ActivityPub server for small personal instances.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · Android · iOS
LikesVisit ↗
Sharkey#10
Misskey fork bringing extra fediverse features and themes.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web
LikesVisit ↗
PixelDroid#11
Open-source Android app for posting to Pixelfed servers.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Android
LikesVisit ↗
Impressia for Pixelfed#12
Minimal iOS client focused on photo timelines.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
iOS
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.
Pixelfed alternatives at a glance
Pixelfed is a free social app. We compared 12 alternatives: 7 are open source, 10 are completely free, 3 can be self-hosted and 3 work fully offline. The most popular is Instagram, with 2.3k likes.
Best open-source optionMastodon
Decentralised microblogging across federated servers.
Free · Open source · Self‑hostableBest to self-hostGoToSocial
Lightweight Go-based ActivityPub server for small personal instances.
Free · Open source · Self‑hostable