Fediverse statistics: Lemmy, Mastodon, Bluesky etc
Twitter/X/Facebook/Reddit alternatives
There is a whole world of mainstream social networks platforms. And there is a small world of alternative platforms - fediverse. I will show how popular fediverse is.
People were creating those alternative platforms for 2 main reasons - Freedom and Privacy (owning their data).
I will show overview with alternative platforms and their top-view statistics, then will voice some thoughts on why this all is happening, and then will shortly describe each of those alternative services.
Mainstream social networks statistics please see for comparison below, This chart is from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/twitter-statistics/
Fediverse services statistics
Total users, Monthly Active Users (MAU) and posts Fediverse statistics. The difference to the mainstream platforms is several orders of magnitude. Also notice that Monthly Active Users metric is dropping.
Federated alternative services spread. Mastodon is the winner, and Bluesky is missing from it completely, which is strange.
Reasons of exodus
People moving to alternative platforms because of several reasons. This move is not large, but it still exists.
Enshittification
There is a nice newish term for the mainstream social platforms way of transformation - “Enshittification”. It describes the gradual decline in quality of online products and services. It’s also known as “crapification” or “platform decay”.
Mainstream platform owners, probably because of monetary, control or compliance reasons sometimes are changing the behaviour of their products in not best customer interests. Some of such changes might be ordering search results not on merits basis but on ‘who paid most’ order.
Freedom
Mainstream social media platforms are implementing some cencorship mechanisms, calling it ‘fact-checking’ and other initially positive-charged terms. Actions could vary from shadow-banning to account removal.
Privacy concerns
Mainstream networks already know a lot about your behaviour on the internet and not only. Do your own research how they use and share this info.
Copyright and AI
Large social media platforms started using the user’s data (profile info, posts texts, photos and metadata) to train their AI products. Can you emagine attitude of Reddit users after such move?
Fediverse - Detailed description and services
Fediverse is shorthand for federated universe.
A federated social network is a system that is decentralised, developed and operated by distinct providers (something like email but for social networks). It consists of multiple social apps and websites, where users of each site can communicate with users of any of the other compatible sites.
An application or website participating in a federated social network is interoperable with the other sites (known as instances) and federates (fetching and especially pushing data) with them based on their users interactions. Communication among the social websites is conducted through social networking protocols, like ActivityPub. Advantages of a federated network:
- Robust and resilient
- Scales horizontally
- Private data stays on each user’s home instance
- Each instance is responsible for its content (moderation of discussions, etc)
Fediverse services are mostly using the ActivityPub protocol for communication.
Fediverse services Difference to mainstream social networks
Comparison to Traditional Social Media
- Centralization vs. Decentralization: Traditional social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are centralized, meaning they are controlled by a single entity. Mastodon and other fediverse services, on the other hand, is decentralized, with control distributed across multiple independent servers.
- Algorithmic Feeds vs. Chronological Feeds: Traditional platforms use algorithms to curate user feeds, while Mastodon uses a chronological feed, giving users more control over the content they see.
- Advertising and Monetization: Traditional platforms rely heavily on advertising for revenue, whereas fediverse alternatives is ad-free and relies on community support and donations.
- Moderation: Traditional platforms have centralized moderation policies, whereas Mastodon’s moderation is decentralized and managed by each server’s moderation team.
Mastodon
Mastodon is a fediverse’s Twitter alternative and the largest of all services.
Mastodon active users trend:
Mastodon top servers list:
See for more Mastodon statistics: https://fedidb.org/software/mastodon
Misskey
Misskey is another Fediverse microblogging platform.
Misskey top servers list:
See for more Misskey statistics: https://fedidb.org/software/misskey
Differences from Mastodon
- Customization and UI: While both platforms are decentralized and part of the Fediverse, Misskey offers more extensive customization options for the user interface compared to Mastodon14.
- Cloud Storage: Misskey includes built-in cloud storage (Drive), which is not a standard feature in Mastodon36.
- Business Applications: Misskey is particularly well-suited for business applications due to its advanced features and customization options, whereas Mastodon is more of a general-purpose social network1.
Unique Misskey Features
- Clips and Antennas: Misskey has features like “Clips” for summarizing notes and “Antennas” for collecting notes based on set conditions, which are not found in other microblogging platforms5.
- Charts and Embeds: The platform allows for generating charts from server data and embedding notes and timelines into websites, adding a layer of functionality not seen in many other social media platforms5.
Lemmy
Lemmy is very similar to Reddit: threads, comments, votes.
Lemmy top servers list:
Most of the users are served by one server instance. Not very decentralised, isn’t it? And especially with the recent slash and burn style banning… the biggest door to lemmy world is not a very reliable.
See more Lemmy statistics: https://fedidb.org/software/lemmy
Comparison to Other Fediverse Platforms
- Mastodon: While both are decentralized and part of the Fediverse, Mastodon is more akin to Twitter, focusing on short-form posts and following users. Lemmy is more similar to Reddit, with a focus on link aggregation and community discussions167.
- Peertube and Pixelfed: These platforms are also part of the Fediverse but serve different purposes; Peertube is for video sharing, and Pixelfed is for image sharing. Lemmy is specifically designed for link aggregation and discussions6.
PixelFed
Instagram alternative in Fediverse is the PixelFed service.
PixelFed top servers list:
More PixelFed statistics: https://fedidb.org/software/pixelfed
PeerTube
PeerTube is a Youtube alternative.
PeerTube top servers list:
More PeerTube statistics: https://fedidb.org/software/peertube
Bluesky
Another Twitter alternative
Comparing Bluesky to Mastodon
- Protocol: While both are decentralized, Bluesky uses the AT Protocol, and Mastodon uses the ActivityPub protocol.
- User Interface: Bluesky has a more Twitter-like interface, whereas Mastodon’s interface can vary depending on the server.
- Algorithmic Feeds: Bluesky offers a marketplace of algorithms, whereas Mastodon typically uses chronological feeds.
In summary, Bluesky stands out for its decentralized architecture, user-controlled data management, customizable algorithmic feeds, and robust moderation tools, making it a unique alternative to traditional centralized social media platforms.
Write Freely
Came from write.as
Medium alternative
WriteFreely is a minimalist, open-source, and decentralized blogging platform designed to provide a distraction-free writing environment. The platform supports Markdown and HTML formatting, enabling users to add special formatting without leaving the keyboard. This makes the writing process seamless and efficient.
Unlike WordPress, which offers a vast range of themes, plugins, and customization options, WriteFreely has a more limited range of extensions and design options. This is intentional to maintain the platform’s minimalist nature. WriteFreely primarily targets writers and bloggers who prefer a minimalistic platform, unlike WordPress which caters to a broader audience including businesses and developers.
WriteFreely itself does not include built-in features for following or commenting directly. However, through federation with other Fediverse platforms, users can engage with their content and follow other writers.
Friendica
Facebook alternative
Decentralization and Federation Friendica is part of the Fediverse, using multiple protocols such as ActivityPub, OStatus, and Diaspora to federate with other platforms like Mastodon, Pleroma, Pixelfed, and Diaspora*. This allows users to connect and interact with contacts across different networks.
Multi-Protocol Support
Unlike many other Fediverse platforms that focus on a single protocol, Friendica supports multiple protocols, enabling it to integrate with a wide range of social networks, including Twitter (though deprecated due to API changes), WordPress, Tumblr, and RSS feeds15
Friendica offers a broad range of features similar to those found on centralized social media platforms like Facebook. These include:
- Status updates with no character limits (default 5000 characters, adjustable by server host)4
- Photo albums, tagging, and privacy controls
- Events calendar
- Direct messaging and network email
- Public and private forums
- Multiple profiles for different groups of people
- Relationship control, including follow, share, and block options
- Integration with external services like IFTTT and Buffer.
Differences from Other Fediverse Platforms
Diaspora
- Protocol Support: Friendica supports multiple protocols, allowing it to federate with a broader range of networks, whereas Diaspora primarily uses its own protocol.
- Feature Set: Friendica has a more comprehensive feature set, including events calendars, multiple profiles, and detailed stream filtering, which are not as developed in Diaspora.
Mastodon and Pleroma
- Interface and Complexity: Mastodon and Pleroma have more modern and user-friendly interfaces compared to Friendica, which can be more complex and less intuitive for new users.
- Protocol Focus: Mastodon and Pleroma primarily use the ActivityPub protocol, whereas Friendica supports multiple protocols, enabling broader interoperability.
Misskey
- Customization and UI: Misskey offers a highly customizable interface and is known for its modern and appealing design, whereas Friendica’s interface is more functional but less modern24.
- Feature Focus: Misskey is more focused on microblogging with advanced text formatting and longer post limits, while Friendica is a more general-purpose social network with a wide range of features.
In summary, Friendica stands out for its extensive protocol support, comprehensive feature set, strong focus on privacy and customization, and the ability to integrate with a wide range of external services. However, it may have a steeper learning curve and a less modern interface compared to some other Fediverse platforms.
Pleroma
Performance and Resource Usage
Pleroma is known for its performance and UX improvements, making it a preferred choice for users who need a more efficient and lightweight solution compared to Mastodon. It can run on cheaper servers and is less of a resource hog.
Differences from Mastodon
- Resource Usage: Pleroma is more lightweight and requires fewer resources to run compared to Mastodon, making it suitable for smaller servers or less powerful hardware.
- Customization: While both platforms are highly customizable, Pleroma’s flexibility in using different frontends and its overall architecture make it more adaptable to specific user needs.
- User Interface: The default interface of Pleroma can be less modern and less polished compared to Mastodon, although users can opt for the Mastodon frontend if preferred.
Differences from Other Fediverse Platforms
- Misskey: Misskey has a more modern and highly customizable interface, and it is more focused on microblogging with advanced text formatting. Pleroma, on the other hand, is more of a general-purpose microblogging platform with a broader range of features.
- Diaspora: Diaspora uses its own protocol and has a different user interface and feature set. Pleroma’s use of ActivityPub makes it more interoperable with other Fediverse platforms like Mastodon and Pixelfed.
- Friendica: Friendica is a more versatile platform that supports multiple protocols and integrates with traditional social media services. Pleroma is more focused on microblogging and is known for its lightweight and customizable nature.
In summary, Pleroma stands out for its decentralization, lightweight architecture, high customizability, and efficient resource usage, making it a compelling alternative to other microblogging platforms within the Fediverse.
Plume
Blogging platform for longer content.
Differences from Mastodon and Pleroma
- Purpose: Mastodon and Pleroma are microblogging platforms similar to Twitter, while Plume is specifically designed for blogging. This makes Plume more suitable for longer-form content and media-rich posts.
- Features: While Mastodon and Pleroma focus on short-form posts and real-time interactions, Plume is tailored for blogging with features like media management and collaborative writing.
Challenges
- illigal material and mass banning
- Servers are bunning each other. It is also called ‘Defederating’
- lemmi.ml and lemmy.world bans
Useful links
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification
- Fediverse statistics: https://fedidb.org/