Comparison of software and protocols for distributed social networking

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a comparison of both software and protocols that are used for distributed social networking.

Software

Summarize
Perspective

Active

More information Project Name, Features ...
Project Name Features Software type Programming Language License Privacy features, if any Federation capabilities Instance count Current status
Bluesky Microblogging Client[1] TypeScript MIT None (planned) AT Protocol (Personal Data Server, opinionated services)[2] 1 AppView, theoretically self-hostable Active
diaspora* Status messages, blogging, image sharing Client/server Ruby AGPLv3 Post reach can be controlled via "aspects" diaspora* network 61 (January 2025)[3] Active
Friendica Rich profiles, networking groups, community/group/celebrity pages, richtext status (not specifically length limited), photo albums, YouTube share, location, like/dislike, multiple profiles w/assignment to specific friends, single sign-on to post directly to friend's profiles on co-operating systems. Communications encryption. Fans and one-way relationships. Local and global directory services. Ability to restrict connection endpoints. Client/server PHP, JavaScript AGPLv3 Access controls for content, disappearing messages, private groups ActivityPub, DFRN, diaspora* network, Email, RSS, third-party connections (Tumblr, Twitter, more via plugins) 345 (January 2025)[4] Active
Hubzilla[5] Decentralised identity and community platform, blogging, rich social networking, cloud storage and internet-scale access control/privacy Client/server PHP, JavaScript MIT Access controls for content, private groups ActivityPub, diaspora* network, Zot 90 (January 2025)[6] Active
Lemmy Social news Client/server Rust AGPLv3 None ActivityPub 576 (January 2025)[7] Active
Libervia Microblogging, group microblogging, file sharing, games, XMPP client Client/server Python, C++ AGPLv3 Presence authorization, XMPP groups XMPP, ActivityPub in beta as of 2022.[8] Demo[9] Active
Mastodon Microblogging Client/server Ruby, JavaScript AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 10156 (January 2025)[10] Active
Micro.blog Microblogging Client Un­known Proprietary Access controls for content ActivityPub, AT Protocol (Bluesky crossposting) 1 Active
Minds Microblogging Client/server PHP AGPLv3 None ActivityPub 1 Active
Misskey Microblogging Client/server TypeScript AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 1244 (January 2025)[11] Active
Mobilizon Events, groups, shared folders Client/server Elixir AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 106 (January 2025)[12] Active
Movim XMPP client, news aggregation Client/server PHP AGPLv3 Access controls for content, end-to-end encryption for chats XMPP 16 (January 2025)[13] Active
PeerTube Video sharing Client/server TypeScript AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 1302 (January 2025)[14] Active
Pixelfed Image sharing, similar to Instagram Client/server PHP AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 543 (January 2025)[15] Active
Pleroma Instant messaging, microblogging Client/server Elixir AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 1020 (January 2025)[16] Active
Plume[17] Blogging Client/server Rust AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub 41 (January 2025)[18] Active
Socialhome[19] Microblogging, blogging, home page builder Client/server Python, JavaScript AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub, diaspora* 9 (January 2025)[20] Active
Close

Inactive

More information Project Name, Features ...
Project Name Features Software type Programming Language License Privacy features, if any Federation capabilities Current status
GNU social Primarily microblogging, groups Client/server PHP AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub (via plugin), OStatus Stable, last update to both supported major versions circa 2022
Jappix[21] XMPP client + Microblogging Client JavaScript, PHP AGPLv3 Presence authorizations XMPP Stable, inactive
Kune real-time collaborative edition, XMPP chat, groups, calendar, lists, tasks, blogs, Apache Wave inbox (modern email), wave extensions (gadgets, robots), public webpages, profiles, galleries (photos, videos), maps, federation, usability Client/server Java AGPLv3 Access controls for content XMPP, Wave Federation Protocol Stable, last updated 2017
Numaverse[22] Microblogging Client (peer-to-peer) Ruby MIT Un­known Ethereum, IPFS Beta, last updated 2018
OneSocialWeb[23] Microblogging Openfire plugin, clients[24] Java Apache 2.0 Presence authorizations, access controls for content XMPP, XMPP extensions[25] Alpha
OpenMicroBlogger User-toggleable "apps" to add/remove functionality. RSSCloud and partial OStatus (PubSubHubbub) federation as well as Open Microblogging 0.1. Local follow/unfollow. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr integration. (partial) Twitter API support. Fully Restful design, user interface consumes Rest API. Client MIT Open Microblogging 0.1, RSSCloud, (partial) OStatus (PubSubHubbub) Open Microblogging 0.1, RSSCloud, (partial) OStatus (PubSubHubbub) Alpha
Osada Microblogging Server PHP, JavaScript Access controls for content Zot/6, ActivityPub Stable
postActiv Microblogging Client/server AGPLv3 Access controls for content OStatus, ActivityPub and Zot support proposed but never implemented homepage and code forge went offline late 2019
Prismo[26] Link sharing Client/server Ruby AGPLv3 Access controls for content ActivityPub No commits since May 2019
Project Danube 1) Sharing personal data with companies/organizations

2) Sharing personal data with "friends" 3) Use of personal data for "personal applications"

OStatus, OAuth 2.0, WebFinger, hCard, Portable Contacts, XRI, XDI, PubSubHubbub, Salmon Alpha
Project Nori OStatus, OAuth, Portable Contacts, WebFinger, and other open protocols Alpha
pump.io Microblogging Client/server Node.js, JavaScript Apache 2.0 Access controls for content ActivityPump Stable, inactive
SMOB Microblogging unmaintained
Social-Igniter[27] friends, places, status, comments, modular apps (messages, blog, cart, media), themes, mobile themes, 3rd party integration (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), editable widgets, Server GPL Webfinger, PubSubHubbub, OpenID, OAuth, Activity Streams alpha
SocialRiver[28] Client/server GPL

AGPL

Private messaging, access controls OStatus,[29] OpenID, will add support for OAuth Unmaintained
SocialZE[30] Client/server Access controls for content OSMP (Open Social Message Protocol) alpha
Sone[31] microblogging, media library, decentralized spam protection Client/server Java, JavaScript GPL Hyphanet beta
Close

Protocols

Active

More information Project Name, Features ...
Project Name Features License Privacy features, if any Supported apps Instance count Current status
ActivityPub Activity Streams, WebFinger Released as a W3C standard Inbox/outbox access controls Many ~30,000 Active
ActivityPump Activity Streams, WebFinger AGPLv3 Inbox/outbox access controls Pump.io Inactive, network still online
AT Protocol Modular, microservice-oriented protocol architecture Dual (MIT, Apache 2.0) None (planned)[32] Bluesky ~2.4k data servers,[33] few servers for other parts of the protocol (January 2025) Active
diaspora* network Status messages, blogging, photo sharing AGPLv3 Post reach can be controlled via "aspects" diaspora* (social network) 61 (January 2025)[3] Active
FOAF User relationships CC BY 1.0 None Active
Nostr Extensible, based on event objects Public domain None Many Hundreds of relays Active, stable
OStatus OAuth 2, WebFinger, PubSubHubbub, Salmon AGPLv3 None GNU social, StatusNet Less than 100 Inactive, network still online
Peergos[34] P2P storage, social network, and application protocol AGPLv3 End-to-end encryption for private messages Peergos Un­known Active, stable
Twister Peer-to-peer microblogging MIT and BSD End-to-end encryption for private messages Twister Un­known Inactive, network still online
twtxt[35] Microblogging Varied, based on implementation None Text editor Un­known Active, stable
XMPP Microblogging Varied, based on implementation Access controls, presence authorization, encryption Many Many Active, stable
Close

Inactive

More information Project Name, Features ...
Project Name Features License Privacy features, if any Current status
6d[36] Blog, media library, addressbook, themeable, private messaging MIT Post scopes when transmitting Alpha
Aether[37] Peer-to-peer, ephemeral, self-governing public communities with auditable and democratic moderation.[38] AGPLv3 None Stable, not updated since 2021
Appleseed (Quicksocial protocol)[39][40] Photos, Journals, Messaging, Groups, Privacy controls, Status Updates, Newsfeeds GPLv2 Access controls for content Cancelled
Buddycloud[41][42] Personal and topic channels, Buddycloud directory, channel search, channel recommender, media server, friend-finder, mobile and email push service, location, messaging Apache 2.0[43] End-to-end encryption for private messages Stable, last update 2015
Cunity[44] Friends, Photo Album, Filesharing, Messaging, Pinboard, Newsfeed, Memberlist, Forum, Connecting Cunities PHP Peer-to-peer transmission Beta
Diatum[45] Supports contact and social media apps Apache 2.0 no commit since 2021, main repository removed, alpha 0.01[46]
DiSo Project[47] WordPress plugins[48] beta (v0.6)
Distributed Social Networking Protocol[49] DSNPd (server daemon), ChoiceSocial (web interface)[49] beta (v0.6)
Friend2Friend[50] Strong encryption, XML for all data exchange, Data is digitally signed LGPL Only connected to known users Alpha
Knowee[51] OpenID Signup, Activity Stream import and export, contact import from Web 2.0 services via XFN and FOAF, automatically updated address book from remote data sources, consolidated profile with RDF/FOAF export, personal SPARQL API PHP[52] Dead
Kopal[53] OpenID, Kopal Connect protocol,[54] Kopal Feed microformat[55] MIT alpha
Libertree[56] Social network AGPLv3 None beta (updated: 2015)
Lorea[57] Profiles, microblogging, streams, groups, plugins, group mailing lists, tasks, calendar, subgroups, tagclouds (lgg,[58] plugins[59]) GPL stable (seems dead by 2016-12-28)
Mr. Privacy[60] Email social network Private messaging Dead
Multichan [61] Anonymous textboard / imageboard network[62] Public domain None paused on 2021-07-01, alpha 1.7[61]
Newebe[63] one user = one node; microblogging, picture sharing, activity stream AGPLv3 alpha (updated: 2016)
NoseRub[64][65][66] Custom protocol Dead
OpenAutonomy[67] Micro-blogging, RSS aggregation, Cloud storage MIT Trusted user list and fine-grained trusted sub-groups stable (r210)[68] (updated: 2015)
OpenLink Data Spaces (ODS)[69] Profile Management, Blogs, Wikis, Address Books, Calendars, Feed Aggregation, Discussion Forums (includes NNTP support), File Servers (WebDAV based Briefcase). Dual (Commercial and GPL for Open Source Edition) WebID stable (updated: 2016)
OpenMicroBlogging Microblogging AGPLv3 None Dead
psyced[70] profiles, chat, microblogging stable (updated: 2016)
Safebook[71] Peer-to-peer Facebook replacement GPL Untraceable communications beta[72]
Secure Scuttlebutt social networking, messaging, games, development tools Various FLOSS licenses End-to-end encryption for private messages. Stable
SONIC[73][74] Federation protocol for OSN services MIT beta (updated: 2018)
Tent[75] Profiles, Developer-extensible Post and Profile Types, Data Import, Groups, Privacy Controls, Content versioning MIT (reference implementation) alpha (0.2)
Thimbl[76] Microblogging alpha
Zot/Zap social network, microblogging, cloud storage MIT stable, repository deleted[77]
Close

See also

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.