Pixelfed
A free, open-source, ad-free social media platform for sharing photos and videos with privacy-focused features and decentralized architecture.
Pixelfed is a decentralized, open-source photo and video sharing platform that prioritizes user privacy and community-driven moderation. Built on the ActivityPub protocol, it allows seamless interaction with other federated platforms like Mastodon and Akkoma.
Key Features
- Ad-free & Privacy-Friendly: No ads, no data selling, and full control over your content
- Decentralized & Federated: Join any Pixelfed server or host your own with complete autonomy
- Chronological Feeds: No algorithmic manipulation of your content
- Albums & Stories: Share multiple photos in albums or ephemeral stories
- Direct Messages: Private conversations with followers-only messaging
- Advanced Privacy Controls: Unlisted posts, follower approvals, muting, blocking, and reporting
- Cross-Platform Interaction: Follow and interact with users on other ActivityPub platforms
- Mobile Apps: Native iOS and Android applications for on-the-go sharing
Tech / Self-Hosting
Pixelfed is built with PHP, Laravel, and ActivityPub protocol. It can be self-hosted on any server with PHP 8.1+ and MySQL/PostgreSQL support. The platform provides comprehensive installation guides and is actively maintained by a global community of contributors.