As of July 2018, Facebook had 2.23 billion monthly active users.
That’s a lot of people – over a quarter of the world’s population – and it’s one reason why so many businesses feel they need to have a presence on the site. But what if you don’t want to be on Facebook? What are the alternatives?
There are plenty of social media sites like Facebook out there. In this article, we’ll introduce you to 12 of them. Some are very similar to Facebook, while others offer something unique that you might find appealing.
1. Twitter: At 330 million monthly active users, Twitter is much smaller than Facebook but still packs a punch. The site is focused on sharing short messages (140 characters or less) called “tweets.” Hashtags are used to organize tweets around specific topics, and you can follow other users to see their tweets in your timeline. Twitter is known for being fast-paced and breaking news often happens first on Twitter before anywhere else..
2. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is different from other social media sites because it focuses primarily on professional networking. With over 500 million members worldwide, it’s a great.
Diaspora. Diaspora was created in 2010 as a direct alternative to the centralized corporate mega-giant Facebook was becoming
Diaspora is a decentralized social network that allows users to connect with friends and family without the need for a central server or authority. It is based on the concept of “the social web,” which means that users can control their own data and privacy settings.
Diaspora is designed to be a more privacy-conscious alternative to Facebook and other centralized social networks. It does not require users to provide their real names, and it allows them to control who can see their posts. Additionally, Diaspora does not sell user data to advertisers.
The project was launched in 2010 by four students at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences: Dan Grippi, Max Salzberg, Raphael Sofaer, and Ilya Zhitomirskiy. The group raised over $200,000 from online donations before the service launched in 2011.
Since then, Diaspora has been downloaded over 1 million times and has attracted a dedicated community of users and developers. The project is currently maintained by a team of volunteer developers from around the world.
“I’m tired of Facebook. It’s time for a social media alternative.”
Vero
Since its launch in 2015, Vero has amassed a small but passionate following of users who appreciate its no-nonsense approach to social media. However, the platform has also faced its fair share of criticism, with some accusing it of being nothing more than a copycat of existing social networks. Others have raised concerns about the company’s business model, which relies on subscription fees instead of advertising revenue.
Despite these challenges, Vero appears to be here to stay – at least for now. If you’re interested in exploring this new(ish) social network for yourself, read on for everything you need to know about using Vero.
Path
When Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004, he revolutionized the way people communicate. By creating a platform that makes it easy to connect with friends and family online, Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites in the world. However, there is one significant downside to Facebook: it collects a lot of data about its users.
If you’re concerned about privacy and want to find a social media alternative to Facebook, you may want to consider Path. Path is a private social network that allows you to share photos, thoughts, and experiences with your close friends and family. Unlike Facebook, Path does not collect any data about its users. This means that your information is safe and secure on Path.
Path also offers some unique features that you won’t find on other social networking sites. For example, Path has a “Limitless” feature that allows you to share an unlimited number of photos with your friends (Facebook only allows you to share 300 photos). You can also create “Moments” on Path which are like photo albums that you can share with specific friends or groups.
Overall, if privacy is important to you and you’re looking for a social media alternative to Facebook, Path may be worth checking out.
Ello
Ello is one of the few social networks that does not collect data on its users, which has made it attractive to those who are concerned about online privacy. The platform does not sell user data or allow advertising, which means it does not have the same business model as most other social networks. This lack of revenue has caused some financial difficulties for Ello, but the company remains committed to its privacy-focused approach.
While Ello is still relatively small compared to other social networks, it has attracted a dedicated following of users who value its commitment to privacy and freedom from ads and data collection. If you’re looking for an alternative to Facebook or Twitter that puts your privacy first, Ello is worth checking out.
MeWe
MeWe was founded in 2016 by Mark Weinstein, a privacy advocate and early social media pioneer. Weinstein saw the need for a social media platform that would respect user privacy and give people more control over their data. MeWe has since become one of the fastest-growing social networks in the world with millions of active users.
Unlike Facebook, MeWe does not collect user data for advertising purposes. MeWe also does not show ads or use algorithms to manipulate what users see in their feed. Instead, MeWe relies on user subscriptions to generate revenue. This allows us to keep our service free of charge for all users around the world.
MeWe’s focus on privacy has made it popular among those who are concerned about online surveillance and data collection by governments and corporations. In addition, MeWe has attracted users who are tired of seeing ads and manipulated content on other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Minds
Minds allows users to post text, images, videos, and links. Users can also comment on other users’ posts and share them with their followers. Minds has a points system that rewards users for being active on the site; points can be used to purchase advertising or upgrades such as a custom profile URL or avatar.
Minds has been praised for its commitment to privacy and free speech; however, some users have criticized the site for its lack of features and difficult-to-use interface.
NextDoor
Nextdoor was founded in 2011 by Sarah Leary, Prakash Janakiraman, Nirav Tolia, and David Warthen. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. As of September 2017, Nextdoor has over 156 thousand neighborhoods in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Nextdoor’s mission is to provide a platform for neighbors to connect and build strong communities. The company believes that strong communities make life better for everyone and that by connecting neighbors they can create a positive impact on society at large.
There are a number of features that make Nextdoor unique from other social media platforms:
– Private: Nextdoor is only available to verified residents of each neighborhood who sign up with their real name and address using their personal email or phone number. This helps to ensure that only people who actually live in the neighborhood can join and participate in the conversations on Nextdoor. – Secure: All members must verify their identity before joining Nextdoor so you can be sure that you know who you’re talking to. In addition, all conversations on Nextdoor are private so only members of your neighborhood will be able to see what you’ve posted. – Local: One of the great things about Nextdoor is that it allows you to connect with people who live close by – something that can be difficult to do on larger social media platforms like Facebook where friends may be spread out all over the world. On Nextdoor, you can find out about local events happening nearby or get recommendations for businesses from people who have used them before.”
Niche Networks
1. Dogster – This network is all about dogs and dog lovers. Members can post photos and stories about their dogs, meet other dog lovers in their area, and find helpful information on everything from dog breeds to training tips.
2. Catster – Just like Dogster, but for cat lovers! This network helps members connect with other cat enthusiasts in their area, learn more about feline care and behavior, share photos and stories of their cats, and more.
3. Goodreads – A social network for readers and booklovers where members can add books to their virtual shelves, rate/review books they’ve read, join discussion groups about their favorite genres or authors, get personalized recommendations based on their reading preferences, and much more.
When Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in 2004, he had no idea that it would one day become the behemoth it is today. With over 2 billion active users, Facebook has become the go-to platform for staying connected with friends and family around the world. But as its popularity has grown, so too have concerns about data privacy and security. In recent years, scandals like Cambridge Analytica have led many people to reevaluate their relationship with Facebook and look for alternatives.
One such alternative is Diaspora*, which bills itself as a “privacy-aware” social network. Created in 2010 by four NYU students, Diaspora* aims to give users more control over their data by putting them in charge of their own online identity. Instead of being hosted on central servers controlled by a single company, Diaspora*’s decentralized network is spread out across multiple servers run by different organizations (or even individuals). This gives users more control over who can access their data and how it’s used.
With privacy concerns at an all-time high, alternatives like Diaspora* are likely to gain traction in the coming years. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll all be sharing our photos and status updates on a platform that isn’t owned