- One option is a protocol, not a place to sign up
- How the eight compare
- Open-source social software
- Decentralised servers you can choose or run
- Communities organised around topics
- Three different meanings of open
- What each type asks of you
- Testing a new network for a month
- If you're leaving rather than adding
- Frequently asked questions
Leave when you want a different network model, not the same feed somewhere else. Federated microblogging servers suit people who want to choose their host, discussion platforms suit topic communities, open protocols suit developers and tinkerers, and small self-hosted servers suit anyone who wants to run their own corner of the social web.
If you're looking past Bluesky, you're probably not short of features; you want a different kind of network. Some people want topic-led discussion, some want to run their own server, and some want to try a protocol rather than a platform. The eight options below are grouped by how they work rather than by how big they are.
One option is a protocol, not a place to sign up
Nostr is the odd one out here. Its own explainer says it isn't an app or a service you sign up for. It's a protocol, so you choose a client app to use it, and that client is what you'll see day to day.
That makes it a different kind of switch. Joining another network means picking a server or a company and creating an account there. Moving to a protocol means picking software first, then learning how it handles your identity and the people you follow. Expect to try more than one client before one feels right.
For developers and people who enjoy tinkering, that freedom is the attraction. For someone who wants to post and scroll with as little fuss as possible, it's worth starting with one of the server-based options below, then coming back to Nostr once you know what you want from a feed.
How the eight compare
| Network | Type | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Friendica | Decentralised | No central owner |
| GoToSocial | ActivityPub server | Written in Go |
| Lemmy | Topics | Decentralised discussion |
| Mastodon | Open-source social | Open code |
| Misskey | Open-source social | Build your own service |
| Nostr | Protocol | Use a client |
| Pleroma | Fediverse | Plays well with others |
| Topics | Thousands of communities |
Open-source social software
Want open code you can inspect? These two are where to begin.
Mastodon
Free and open-source software, so the code is open for anyone to inspect.
Misskey
Free and open-source software whose stated purpose is creating social networking services, which makes it as much a toolkit for running a community as a place to join one.
If Mastodon is the front-runner, there's a fuller head-to-head with Bluesky that covers the move in more depth.
Decentralised servers you can choose or run
These suit people who want to choose their host, or run their own.
Friendica
Built on a decentralised architecture with no central authority or ownership, so no single company sits at the top.
GoToSocial
A social network server that speaks ActivityPub, for people who'd rather run something small of their own.
Pleroma
Social networking software built to work with other Fediverse software, so it isn't an island.
Communities organised around topics
If the conversations you value happen around subjects rather than people, a discussion platform may suit you better than another feed.
Lemmy
A decentralised discussion platform for communities, closer to a forum than a timeline.
Home to thousands of communities, each built around a subject, so you follow interests rather than individual accounts.
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Three different meanings of open
Openness is the word that comes up most when people leave, and it doesn't mean the same thing on every option here. Bluesky's own pitch is about laying open foundations for the social internet, which describes an ambition for the network as a whole rather than a setting you can switch on.
Elsewhere, the word gets more specific. On the two open-source projects it's about the software, since anyone can read the code. On Friendica it's about structure, with nobody owning the network. On Nostr it's about the protocol, which you reach through whichever client you like. Decide which kind matters to you before you choose, because each one leads to a different shortlist, and a network that's open in one sense can feel closed in another.
What each type asks of you
The eight options split into three kinds of commitment, and it helps to know which one you're signing up for before you choose.
Joining is the lightest. Lemmy and Reddit are organised around communities, so you arrive, find the subjects you care about and start reading. Your effort goes into choosing communities rather than building a following from scratch.
Choosing software is the middle ground. With Nostr, the client you pick shapes everything you see, so the decision is about apps rather than accounts. Expect a little more reading before your first post, and give yourself permission to swap clients if the first one feels awkward.
Running something is the heaviest. GoToSocial, Pleroma and Misskey are software you can host, which gives you the most control over rules and members. It also makes updates, backups and moderation your job, so think about the time you'll give it every week.
Testing a new network for a month
- Decide what you want more of: conversation, topic discussion, control over your host, or control over the software.
- Pick one option from that group and one from another, so you have a real comparison.
- For server-based networks, read the server's about page, rules and moderation policy before you sign up, since they differ from host to host.
- Follow twenty accounts or communities on day one, so your feed isn't empty when you judge it.
- Post at least three times a week and reply to others; lurking tells you very little about a network.
- Check the mobile app or client on your phone early, as that's where you'll likely use it most.
- After a month, keep the one you'd miss.
If you're leaving rather than adding
Post a note telling followers where else to find you, keep an eye on replies for a few weeks, and only then decide whether to close your account. If you do decide to go, there's a step-by-step guide to closing your account for good.
Before you delete anything, save the posts and contacts you'd hate to lose. Once an account is gone, getting that history back is rarely simple. And if the new network hasn't won you over after a month, there's no shame in going back: the point of the test was to find out, not to prove a move was right.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these is written in Go?
GoToSocial. That mostly matters if you plan to host it yourself and want to know what you'll be running.
Can I tidy my Bluesky timeline instead of leaving?
Often, yes. It offers moderation lists and content filters to control your timeline, so if noise is the only problem, try those before you move.
Do I need my own server to use GoToSocial?
It's server software rather than an app you sign up to, so using it means running it yourself or joining someone who does.
Can I keep my Bluesky account while I test these?
Yes. Nothing here asks you to close it, and keeping it while you test is the safer route.
Is Reddit decentralised like Lemmy?
Only Lemmy makes that claim: it calls itself a decentralised discussion platform, while Reddit is a single community-based site. Both are built around topics.
