Open networks
Bluesky
Conversation with more choice.
Explore communities and choose different ways to follow your interests.
Choose more of your environment
Open and decentralised social networks
Explore networks that give greater weight to open protocols, independent servers or customisable feeds.
Quick answer
Which platform should you choose?
Mastodon lets people choose a Fediverse community. Bluesky uses an open protocol and provides several ways to organise a feed.
Compare the options
Platforms to explore
Each profile explains formats, a possible use, a first step and essential precautions.
Open networksOpen networksMastodon
A network of independent communities.
Join an open network and choose the community that hosts your account.
Open networksLemmy
Discuss links and topics in federated communities.
Discover specialist communities and join open discussions.
Open networks
PeerTube
Publish and discover video on federated platforms.
Publish lasting videos for a community without relying on a single host.
Choose with context
Compare each platform at a glance
With an open or federated network, choosing a service may be only the first step: the server, its rules and moderation capacity can matter. Check what travels beyond your community, whether you can move and where your data is hosted.
| Platform | Formats | Best suited to | Visibility | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky | Posts, replies, custom feeds | Open public conversation | Mostly public | Regular |
| Mastodon | Posts, replies, images, feeds | Federated communities | Public and federated | Regular |
| Lemmy | Links, text, images, comments, votes | Federated topic discussions | Usually public contributions | Light to regular |
| PeerTube | Videos, channels, comments, subscriptions | Video on federated platforms | Depends on video and platform | Substantial |
These are possible uses; open a profile for its cautions and sources.
Make a considered choice
Three checks before creating an account
Your goal
Compare provider choice, portability, local moderation, available feeds and migration mechanisms.
Your available effort
Estimate creation time, frequency, moderation and your ability to respond. A sustainable rhythm is the most useful indicator.
Your controls
Open does not automatically mean private or rule-free. Read the host’s terms and treat posts as public.
Who hosts and moderates your account?
Openness and privacy answer different questions. Check server rules, post circulation, quotas and what an export actually retrieves.
Documented differences
- Mastodon : Each Mastodon server defines its rules and moderation. The home feed displays followed accounts’ posts in chronological order. Source ↗
- PeerTube : PeerTube can use peer-to-peer delivery to reduce bandwidth load on the server hosting a video. Source ↗
- Bluesky : Bluesky moderation combines automated filtering, human actions and content labels selected by users. Source ↗
Frequently asked questions
Choose without rushing
Which platform should I choose for open networks?
Mastodon lets people choose a Fediverse community. Bluesky uses an open protocol and provides several ways to organise a feed.
What should I compare before creating an account?
Compare provider choice, portability, local moderation, available feeds and migration mechanisms.
What is the main point of caution?
Open does not automatically mean private or rule-free. Read the host’s terms and treat posts as public.
Test the use before choosing
| Your need | Expected outcome | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a server | You know the operator and its rules | Examine moderation, contact and stated continuity; also check which accounts or communities are reachable from this server. |
| Plan a migration | You know what can actually be moved | Distinguish personal archives, follower transfers and importing posts. Do not promise identical portability across ActivityPub, AT Protocol and Matrix. |