Bluesky Alternatives Blog Feature

Top 13 Bluesky Alternatives and Competitors for 2025

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It’s not uncommon to see social media users expressing their frustrations with their feeds. Often, algorithms control these feeds, and rather than seeing posts from friends or creators they follow, the feed is filled with content pushed by algorithms. 

This has led many to shift to Bluesky, a decentralized social networking site that aims to be the ‘masterplace of algorithms,’ allowing users to customize their feeds.

However, Bluesky is still evolving. It has a smaller user base than platforms like Instagram and X, and finding people can be tricky due to unique naming conventions and limited search functionality. Plus, Bluesky allows users to create community guidelines, offering a radically different social media experience.

If you are not a fan of Bluesky, there are plenty of other social media platforms you can explore. We’ve compiled a list of 13 Bluesky alternatives to help you find the perfect social media platform!

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⏰ 60-Second Summary:

Here’s a list of the top 13 Bluesky alternatives and competitors for 2025:

  1. Threads by Instagram: Best for people who use Instagram
  2. Diaspora: Best for people who want to host their own pods
  3. PixelFed: Best for those wanting a decentralized photo-sharing platform
  4. Nostr: Best for tech-savvy users seeking a protocol-based app
  5. Post News: Best for people looking for a platform oriented to news
  6. Hive Social: Best for those looking for a blend of Instagram and X
  7. Friendica: Best for creating long text posts
  8. X (previously Twitter): Best for staying updated with world trends
  9. Mastodon: Best for niche hobbyists looking for moderated communities
  10. Minds: Best for content monetization
  11. TrustCafe (WT.Social): Best for those who want a simple, community-focused app
  12. Farcaster: Best for developers and those who use GitHub
  13. AT Protocol: Best for developers prioritizing decentralized social media
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What Should You Look for in Bluesky Alternatives?

Here are the capabilities you should look for in a Bluesky alternative:

🌐 Decentralization

Think about platforms that give you control by decentralizing how they work. You can join or host a server, so your data isn’t tied to a company’s rules or moderation. Plus, decentralization makes these platforms more resilient, reducing the chances of outages or censorship getting in your way.

🤝 Community moderation

Look for platforms that put moderation in the hands of the community. These platforms let users shape their experience with tailored rules and content filters, making it easier to create a safe and inclusive space. It’s all about giving you more control over what you see and engage with.

🔗 Interoperability

Go for platforms that can connect with other networks or use federated systems. This allows you to interact with a wider audience, even outside your platform. It’s a great way to stay connected without juggling multiple accounts.

⚙️ Customization and usability

Look for platforms offering unique features, like chronological feeds, customizable profiles, emojis, or options to share photos and videos. A platform that’s easy to navigate and includes tools like polls, communities, or live chats can make your social experience more fun and tailored to your needs.

💡Pro Tip: Join a public server with active moderation and a vibrant community. It’s an easy way to test the platform before hosting your own server or diving deeper into customization!

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The 13 Best Bluesky Alternatives

Here are the 13 best Bluesky alternatives you can choose from: 

1. Threads by Instagram (Best for Instagram users who want to join a community)

Threads is Instagram’s take on a microblogging platform designed to keep things simple and familiar for users. Its layout and functionality are similar to those of other text-based platforms, making it easy to share updates, join conversations, and engage with followers—all while staying connected to your Instagram account. 

Threads’ standout feature is Tags. Instead of cluttering a post with multiple hashtags, users can simply add one tag that describes the content. This allows people to engage with posts that interest them and connect with others who share similar passions.

Threads best features

  • Share text posts of up to 500 characters
  • Connect your Threads account directly to Instagram for effortless setup and app switching
  • Share text posts, photos, and videos, respond through comments, and engage with others through likes and reposts
  • Conduct custom polls on Threads to gather opinions, spark conversations, and engage your audience  

Threads limitations 

  • You need an Instagram account to use Threads, which may not appeal to those who prefer standalone platforms

Threads pricing 

  • Free

Threads ratings and reviews 

  • Not enough reviews

What are real-life users saying about Threads?

I like the Threads app so far. There are many things they need to fix, and some features need to be added, but I totally get why they rushed it out. Now it’s available as a desktop version, and it is easier to toggle between accounts. I think it’s definitely worth joining. Also, sponsorship and brand deals are one of the simplest methods to benefit from the Threads app.

Reddit review

2. Diaspora (Best for hosting pods)

If you’re looking for a social network that’s all about privacy and control, Diaspora might be worth checking out. Unlike the usual platforms that keep your data on their servers, Diaspora lets you decide where your information lives. You can pick a server on the browser, called a ‘pod,’ or even host your own.

What sets Diaspora apart are its core principles: decentralization, freedom, and privacy. Basically, you get to decide who sees your content, how you connect with people, and where your data is stored. 

Diaspora best features

  • Get complete ownership and control of your communication plan with the decentralized structure
  • Share updates and media with ‘Aspects’ to easily segment friends, family, and professional connections
  • Experience a cleaner, distraction-free environment with no ads or third-party tracking
  • Modify the source code to customize the network as per your preferences

Diaspora limitations 

  • The user interface might feel a bit outdated, more like a Wikipedia site

Diaspora pricing 

  • Free

Diaspora ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

3. PixelFed (Best for photo sharing)

If you like Instagram’s features but don’t want an algorithm to control your feed, PixelFed might be worth considering. It is a photo-sharing platform that puts you in charge of your content creation and privacy. You can share and edit photos, organize them into albums, and engage with others through likes and comments. 

The best part? It’s completely ad-free and doesn’t use algorithms, so your feed stays chronological and distraction-free. Before you sign up, you can browse different servers for art, engineering, and other purposes.

PixelFed best features

  • Enjoy an ad-free and algorithm-free experience with a chronological feed
  • Start threaded conversations with its built-in comment system
  • Share dynamic content with features like Stories and Albums

PixelFed limitations 

  • Since PixelFed is a decentralized social networking platform, its popularity depends on the community. Some communities might feel small or inactive, so finding the right one can take a bit of effort

PixelFed pricing

  • Free 

PixelFed ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

4. Nostr (Best for those who want a protocol-based app)

Bluesky Alternatives: Nostr
via Nostr

Nostr is not your typical social platform with a centralized server. It is a programming language used for communication. When you sign up, you generate a private key that acts as your personal access to the platform. 

There’s no email or phone number involved, so you’re in full control. Your posts and interactions are sent through relays—essentially servers that forward messages between users. This makes it powerful and flexible but can also feel technical or intimidating for newcomers.

Nostr best features

  • Generate private keys to ensure complete control over your account or group communication
  • Connect through relays to share your messages without relying on a centralized server
  • Broadcast posts using public or private relays to enable censorship-resistant communication strategies
  • Set up your own relay for maximum customization and privacy

Nostr limitations 

  • It has a steeper learning curve

Nostr pricing 

  • Free to use, but you may need to buy your key

Nostr ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

5. Post News (Best for people looking for a platform oriented to news)

Post News is about thoughtful discussions and curated content, focusing on quality rather than quantity. It’s a space to dive into news, opinions, and discussions without the usual noise. 

What sets it apart is its emphasis on content from verified sources, so you’re engaging with trustworthy information. If you value meaningful conversations and reliable news, Post News is worth checking out.

Post News best features

  • Engage with posts from verified news sources and trusted contributors
  • Support journalism by tipping writers and creators directly
  • Foster meaningful engagement with a focus on civility and respect
  • Stay informed with a clean, ad-free interface that highlights important content

Post News limitations 

  • The user base is still growing, which may limit the diversity of perspectives and conversations for now

Post News pricing

  • Free 

Post News ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

6. Hive Social (Best for those looking for a blend of Instagram and X)

Hive feels like a nice blend of X and Instagram. The feed works a lot like X’s, showing posts in chronological order, while the visual style and fun extras—like profile music, GIFs, and polls—will remind you of Instagram.

This platform allows you to add Profile music, text and image posts, and polls. Hive’s customization features offer a personal touch, making it easier to connect with other users.

Hive Social best features

  • Create a customizable profile with unique color themes and music integration
  • Enjoy chronological feeds for a straightforward, ad-free browsing experience
  • Add your zodiac signs or pronouns to your profile 
  • Connect with others through engaging features like comments, likes, and reposts

Hive Social limitations

  • Hive’s smaller user base means fewer connections and content compared to bigger networks

Hive Social pricing 

  • Free

Hive Social ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

7. Friendica (Best for creating long text posts)

Friendica is a social platform that simplifies your online interactions. You can join one of the many free public servers available in various languages or set up your own server if you want complete control over your data. 

The platform allows unlimited text length and rich formatting options for posts

What’s really cool about Friendica is how it connects with other networks—whether it’s Mastodon, X, or Diaspora, you can interact with all of them right from one account. 

Frendica best features

  • Use third-party plugins to add functionalities and customize its theme
  • Customize your experience with a wide range of themes and add-ons
  • Organize your network with granular privacy controls and group features
  • Send a post to yourself and maintain a personal diary

Frendica limitations

  • Friendica’s setup process can be a bit technical, especially if you’re self-hosting

Frendica pricing 

  • Free

Frendica ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

💡Pro Tip: For decentralized platforms like Mastodon or Friendica, the server you choose can greatly shape your experience. Look for communities that align with your interests and values.

X social media platform
via X

X (previously Twitter) is one of the most popular social platforms, loved for its fast-paced, real-time conversations. It’s where people share short updates, called tweets, that can include text, images, videos, and links. 

X makes it easier to join and stay updated with global conversations—whether breaking news, trending topics, or viral memes, everything unfolds in real time. Plus, its Spaces feature lets you jump into live audio chats, adding another layer to how you connect with communities and influencers worldwide.

X best features

  • Share short updates, called tweets, with text, images, videos, and links
  • Follow breaking news, trending topics, and global conversations in real time
  • Join live audio chats with Spaces for more dynamic interactions
  • Connect with niche groups through Communities
  • Use Messages for private conversations and networking

X limitations 

  • It has a lot of spam accounts that can interfere with your experience

X pricing 

  • Free
  • Basic: $3 per month
  • Premium: $8 per month 
  • Premium+: $22 per month

X ratings and reviews

  • G2: 4.3/5 (270+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.5/5 (1000+ reviews)

What are real-life users saying about X?

X is a brilliant way to communicate with followers as well as find up to date information and live commentary on current events happening in the world. X is nice but it seems that I am getting more and more notifications of users or posts that have nothing to do with me and do not interest me at all.

G2 review

Fun Fact: The first-ever tweet was simply “just setting up my twttr” by the founder, Jack Dorsey. X was initially designed as a way for people to update their status in 140 characters.

9. Mastodon (Best for niche hobbyists looking for moderated communities)

Mastodon is an open-source social networking platform where users can choose or create the community that best suits them. It operates through servers, each run by independent organizations or individuals, and these servers can vary in focus, rules, and moderation policies. 

Once you pick a server, you can follow anyone across the Mastodon network, no matter which server they are on, ensuring that your choice of community never restricts connections.

Mastodon best features

  • Share posts (called toots) with text, images, videos, and links
  • Express yourself using audio, video, pictures, polls, and animated avatars
  • Enjoy a chronological, ad-free feed for a distraction-free experience
  • Connect across different servers while maintaining a decentralized approach

Mastodon limitations 

  • It does not show recommended accounts or posts to follow

Mastodon pricing 

  • Free

Mastodon ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews 

What are real-life users saying about Mastodon?

I like to dip in and participate in conversations with people and topics of interest, and occasionally share fun things from my life. Mastodon has no algorithm. You follow those accounts that interest you, you get followed by those interested in you, and you converse.

Reddit review

10. Minds (Best for content monetization)

Minds social media platform
via Minds

Minds is a social network that puts free speech, privacy, and rewards at the center of the experience. It blends familiar features of traditional platforms with blockchain technology, letting you earn for engaging, posting, and contributing. 

What’s great about Minds is its commitment to transparency and open-source development, making it a solid choice for content creators who value freedom and control over their online presence.

Minds best features

  • Sell memberships for exclusive access and monetize with ads
  • Customize your experience with open-source tools and transparent policies
  • Connect with a global community that prioritizes free expression and privacy
  • Support creators directly with tips and premium subscriptions

Minds limitations 

Steeper learning curve for new users

Minds pricing 

  • Free

Minds ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

💡Pro Tip: Many Bluesky alternatives, like Threads or Minds, offer customization options for profiles and feeds. Take time to personalize your setup to get the most out of the platform.

11. WT.Social (TrustCafe) (Best for those who want a simple app)

Trust Cafe is a social network focused on meaningful conversations and reliable information. 

Unlike traditional platforms, it avoids algorithms and ads, prioritizing user-driven content and a community-centric approach. It’s designed like a Twitter or Threads feed, and you can make comments, follow, and share content on the platform.

WT.Social best features

  • Engage in discussions driven by quality and relevance rather than algorithms
  • Join or create interest-based groups to connect with like-minded individuals
  • Contribute to and collaborate on reliable, user-driven content
  • Enjoy an ad-free experience that puts community and conversations first

WT.Social limitations 

  • The user interface feels outdated and not intuitive

WT.Social pricing 

  • Free

WT.Social ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

🧠 Did you know? WT.Social was built by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. It is an ad-free and crowdfunded platform to promote fact-based discussions.

12. Farcaster (Best for developers and people who use Github)

Farcaster is a decentralized social network that focuses on portability and giving users full control. It lets you own your identity and connections, so you can switch between apps or platforms without worrying about losing your followers or data. 

Farcaster is also developer-friendly, making it easy to create or use apps within its ecosystem while keeping your identity consistent. If you’re looking for flexibility and control in a social network, Farcaster is worth exploring.

Farcaster best features

  • Own your identity and followers, ensuring portability across platforms
  • Build or use apps within a growing decentralized ecosystem
  • Explore a clean, minimalistic user experience designed for simplicity
  • Interact with a developer-friendly protocol to create or customize new tools

Farcaster limitations 

  • Farcaster’s user base is still growing, so the number of apps and communities remains limited for now

Farcaster pricing 

  • Free

Farcaster ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews 

13. AT Protocol (Best for developers prioritizing decentralized social media)

AT Protocol is the decentralized technology powering Bluesky, built to create a more open and user-controlled social network. It’s all about giving you the freedom to share your identity, content, and followers across different platforms. 

In addition, it offers customizable algorithms so you can shape your feed to fit your preferences. If you’re after portability and transparency, AT Protocol has you covered.

AT Protocol best features

  • Port your identity and data seamlessly across different platforms
  • Customize your feed with transparent algorithms and better control over what you see
  • Connect through a federated network that ensures interoperability and choice
  • Build or use apps that prioritize decentralization and user control

AT Protocol limitations

  • As a foundational protocol, AT Protocol depends on the development and adoption of apps like Bluesky, which are still growing their features and user bases  

AT Protocol pricing 

  • Free

AT Protocol ratings and reviews

  • Not enough reviews

🧠 Did you know? The “AT” in AT Protocol stands for “Authenticated Transfer,” a nod to the network’s goal of creating a truly interoperable and decentralized web of social platforms.

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Other Communication Tools

Bluesky and other platforms, including Hive Social and Diaspora, offer personalized community moderation, better privacy, and greater control. However, different servers and guidelines result in scattered communities. Plus, most of these tools have complex onboarding. 

This is where you need a tool with features beyond social networking. ClickUp is the everything app for work that combines project management, documents, and team communication in one platform—accelerated by next-generation AI automation and search. 

Let’s see how you can use ClickUp to build a robust community.

🚀 Create separate channels for communication 

ClickUp Chat provides a built-in communication tool that keeps conversations tied to your projects. You can invite guests to your workspace and create separate discussion channels. 

Unlike traditional messaging apps, Chat is directly integrated with your workflows. It links tasks, docs, and messages, making it easy to collaborate without losing context.

Use ClickUp Chat to collaborate efficiently with team members
Collaborate efficiently with team members with ClickUp Chat

You can send important announcements using Posts, turn messages into actionable tasks, sync threads to tasks, and send direct messages to community members for personal interactions. 

The best part is that you can summarize threads with ClickUp Brain, ClickUp’s powerful AI assistant. You can also use it to draft engaging, thoughtful posts —personal or on behalf of your organization—to publish across your various social handles.

🚀 Collaborate in real time

ClickUp Docs make creating, editing, and sharing documents incredibly easy, all within your workspace. It helps you link project details, brainstorm ideas, or add meeting notes directly to your tasks.

You can organize information by adding comments, setting edit controls, tracking version history, and using rich-formatting options. 

Use ClickUp Docs to link project details and brainstorm ideas
Link project details and brainstorm ideas with ClickUp Docs

🚀 Brainstorm and visualize ideas

ClickUp Whiteboards are a game-changer for teams that love visual organization. They let you brainstorm, plan strategies, and map out workflows with drag-and-drop simplicity. Plus, you can link elements directly to tasks, keeping everything connected. 

Whether you’re planning content or aligning your team’s vision, Whiteboards provide a collaborative, all-in-one solution.

Visualize ideas with ClickUp Whiteboards
Brainstorm ideas with friends or team members with ClickUp Whiteboards

🚀 Automate marketing tasks

ClickUp is also a great tool for social and marketing teams. It helps organize campaigns, plan content, and automate tasks with ClickUp Marketing

With customizable workspaces like Boards and Gantt charts, ClickUp is easy to tailor to your needs. It stands out by combining project tracking, real-time collaboration, and secure access controls, making it an all-in-one solution for managing and executing projects effectively.

🚀 Get started with templates

ClickUp offers 1000+ ready-to-use templates to help social media and marketing teams hit the ground running. 

Build engaging communities with the ClickUp Community Management Template

The ClickUp Community Management Template offers a great way to stay organized while managing your community. It helps you track interactions, plan events, and keep everything running smoothly. If you’re juggling many community activities, this can simplify things. 

The ClickUp Social Media Advanced Template is helpful if you’re working with a big team or running complex campaigns. It’s packed with tools for detailed content planning and performance tracking, so you can stay on top of every detail and keep your team in sync.

That’s not it! You can also use the ClickUp Social Media Template to plan and organize your social media content. It makes scheduling posts and brainstorming ideas easy, helping you stay consistent and on track without overcomplicating things.

➡️ Want to stay updated with ClickUp features? Join ClickUp’s Community today!

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Create an Engaging Community With ClickUp

While Hive Social, Diaspora, and other social media platforms are great for connecting with people and sharing personal updates, they might not help you scale a community because of their own rules, server overload, and low popularity.

If you want to build a large community, ClickUp can be the ideal platform. 

It offers easy onboarding. You can invite guests to ClickUp Chat, create separate channels, attach files, create action items from messages, and do much more.

Plus, ClickUp also offers community management templates to help you get started. 

Sign up for ClickUp for free today and create meaningful connections!

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