where to?

Here you can read about what alternative social media there are, how to join Fediverse platforms, and for microblogging specifically, deciding on Mastodon, Bluesky or both, or bridging.

still want to use social media? What are the alternatives?

Luckily there are alternative social media, which don’t have black box algorithms controlled by tech bros, or ads, and don’t try to lock you in. You can set up on alternative social media, and then transition from the old platforms to your new social media account(s).

Alternatives include Fediverse platforms (including  Mastodon,  Pixelfed, PeerTube) and  Bluesky (which is not in the Fediverse but adopts similar practices). Although the toxic platforms try to lock you in by not giving you straightforward ways of re-establishing your social network on another platform, there are tools which have been developed by open source developers to help you get around this – see our how-to guide. And once you are in the Fediverse, you can freely change your server and your algorithms while keeping your social network (followers/followings).

Below is an introductory video about the Fediverse (on PeerTube), and you can also follow the creator of the video Elena Rossini on Mastodon for some great content about the Fediverse.

Here are some links to help you learn more about the Fediverse:

• jointhefediverse.net 
• joinfediverse.wiki 
• fediverse.info 
• fedi.tips 
• fedi.directory 
• The connectedplaces.online newsletter covers developments in both the Fediverse and Bluesky.

In true Fediverse style, these website guides are run by individuals or small groups of people, many of them volunteers, and not any large central organisation.

Here are some options for different purposes:

• Microblogging (similar to X) –  Mastodon or  Bluesky
• Image-based posting (similar to Instagram) –   Pixelfed
• Video-sharing (similar to YouTube) –  PeerTube
• Short video sharing (similar to Tiktok) – Loops
• Events and groups – Mobilizon
• Plus more ! See jointhefediverse.net/join for a full list of established Fediverse platforms.
• Keep an eye out for new possibilities: developers of Pixelfed are developing an alternative to Snapchat called Sup – more on Sup and Loops.

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Joining Fediverse platforms:  Mastodon,  Pixelfed, PeerTube etc

In the Fediverse, your account may be on one server, but you can follow anyone on any server. It’s like email – whoever said that just because you use gmail and someone else uses yahoo mail that you can’t email each other? Of course not, because they use the same email protocol (called SMTP). The Fediverse is like this for social media. You don’t have to limit your followings/followers to the same server, because all servers in the Fediverse are using the same social media protocol (called ActivityPub).

When you join a Fediverse platform, you need to choose a server or instance. The server doesn’t matter in terms of you can follow or be followed by in the Fediverse.  However, the server name will normally be a visible part of your account link, so choose one which is appropriate for you or your organisation.  If you are based in a particular country, you could choose a server based in that country – e.g. mastodon.ie, mastodon.fr etc.  If not, you could choose a server which is focused on your values/interests, or a general server, for example mastodon.social has become a default Mastodon server, and you can go there to set up an account if you don’t want to choose another server.  If you want to choose a server, you might like to check background on the server, for example who are the server administrators, what moderation rules and processes do they have, are they not-for-profit and how are they funded. Fediverse platforms generally have a “join” website which lists our your server choices:  joinmastodon.org, pixelfed.org, joinpeertube.org.

alternative social media You are here: how to join Fediverse Next: Microblogging: Mastodon, Bluesky

Microblogging – Mastodon or Bluesky or both?

Mastodon and Bluesky are the two main alternatives to X.

Mastodon is a social networking microblogging software originally developed by Eugen Rochko, a German open source software developer, and later expanded by a community of contributors. Its software is based on the Fediverse protocol, called ActivityPub, which decentralizes the social network into a federation of servers.

Bluesky is another social networking microblogging platform created as a for-profit, American, company by Jack Dorsey, one of Twitter’s co-founders. It is based on an open protocol they invented called the AT Protocol, which aims to be decentralized and used by other platforms too (through the Free our Feeds initiative), but is not currently used widely beyond Bluesky itself.

Comparing Mastodon and Bluesky:

Mastodon	Bluesky
Gateway to Fediverse: Mastodon is part of the Fediverse. With a Mastodon account, you can not only use Mastodon itself, but also like, follow and comment on content on other Fediverse software platforms.	Bluesky is not part of the Fediverse.
Algorithms: Neither Mastodon nor Bluesky have black-box, centrally controlled algorithms
Mastodon does not have algorithms per se – you see posts from accounts you follow in the order they were posted, and you can customise your experience using “lists”, hashtags and other features. More on this here.	Bluesky has open algorithms called “feeds” – you can design your own feed using third party tools, or use the feed from any third-party feed designer.
Ads: Neither Mastodon nor Bluesky have ads.
Mastodon currently has hundreds of thousands of active users	Bluesky currently has millions of active users
Moderation: Mastodon has decentralised moderation, with each server having it’s own moderation policies and ability to delete or block individual posts, accounts or other servers in line with those policies. With Mastodon you can choose a server which aligns with your own moderation wishes, and change servers later if you wish, without loosing your network.	Bluesky’s moderation is in effect still very centralised, with moderation decisions made by Bluesky corporation.
Ownership: Mastodon is not owned by any one organisation. Mastodon software is open source, developed by a community of developers. Mastodon servers are administered by different individuals or organisations, many of them non-profit.	Bluesky is owned by Bluesky corporation, a for-profit benefit corporation. The associated Free our Feeds initiative is not-for-profit.

Bridging between Mastodon and Bluesky

If you want to micro-blog, you can use both Mastodon and Bluesky, or alternatively use one and bridge to the other. Bridging means connecting your profiles on different platforms, so you can follow, share, or interact across them more easily. You can use fed.brid.gy to bridge Mastodon and Bluesky and vice versa.

Here are some options:

• Both: Set up accounts on both  Mastodon and  Bluesky. This has advantages that you will be “fully present” in both, be able to access all the features, and be able to follow as well as be followed in both. Disadvantage is that you would need post in both – though there are tools to facilitate this.

• Mastodon, and bridge to Bluesky: You can set up account on Mastodon only, and bridge to Bluesky using fed.brid.gy
  • You will have all the features of Mastodon including a presence in the Fediverse
  • Your account can still be followed by people who are in Bluesky, and they will see your posts in their feeds.
  • However you won’t be able to follow Bluesky-only accounts.
  • The character limit is shorter on Bluesky than on Mastodon, so your Mastodon posts may be truncated when viewed in your Bluesky bridged account.

• Bluesky, and bridge to Mastodon: You can set up account on Bluesky and bridge to Mastodon using fed.brid.gy
  • You will have all the features of Bluesky.
  • Your account can still be followed by people who are in Mastodon or the Fediverse, and they will see your posts in their feeds.
  • However, the downsides to this approach are that
    • it is difficult to provide a link to your Fediverse presence, e.g. on your website, this way, as you don’t have a real Fediverse presence; and
    • you won’t be able to follow others on Mastodon or any of the Fediverse platforms, without a Fediverse account.

alternative social media how to join Fediverse Microblogging: Mastodon, Bluesky

Have you decided where to go? Learn more about how to go there and tools to help you transition your networks and build engagement there!