Replaces X
European alternatives to X
Open microblogging networks run from Europe
Browse the category: Microblogging services · Photo and video sharing social networks
X, formerly Twitter, is a microblogging service where short public posts, images and video spread through following, reposting and replies. It is used for news, live commentary, customer service and public announcements by companies, institutions and journalists. Its reach is the main reason organisations keep posting there even as the platform has changed.
Public communication is infrastructure for many organisations, and depending on one privately owned platform means accepting its decisions about reach, moderation and account access. European public bodies in particular have moved towards services they can run or verify themselves. A European alternative to X is the fediverse. Mastodon lets an organisation operate its own server on an open protocol, and Pleroma is a lighter implementation of the same network.
European options 2
Our pick
Mastodon
Open source federated microblogging network
Mastodon is an open source microblogging service built as a federated social network. Instead of one central company, anyone with the technical knowledge can run a server where people register, much like email providers. Servers talk to each other over the open ActivityPub protocol, so you can follow and interact with accounts hosted elsewhere.
Open sourceOpen source♻
Questions
Do I need to run my own server?
No. You can join an existing Mastodon or Pleroma server, or run your own if you want control over the domain and the moderation rules. Organisations that care about their identity usually pick the second route.
Can my followers come with me?
Followers are not transferred automatically, so an account move means telling your existing audience where you have gone. Accounts on Mastodon can be moved between servers within the network, which helps later on.
Will posts reach people on other servers?
Yes, that is the point of the shared protocol: Mastodon and Pleroma accounts can follow and reply to each other across servers. Reach still depends on who follows you, as it does anywhere.