Notes 
diaspora*: Google+ Alternative
Reviewed by Marcus Holmberg
diaspora*
diasporafoundation.org 1 rating so far*
Rate diaspora*: No account needed
Threat level
Covered
A covered pick. Anyone can use it as a private drop-in, with no setup or know-how. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
One of the original federated social networks, and its decentralized, you-own-your-data model still reads well on paper. The hard truth is momentum: the network is quiet, active development has slowed, and a social tool is only as good as the people on it. Worth a look if you specifically want its pod-based design and history; for an active community today, a busier fediverse platform will serve you better.
GitHub at a glance
diaspora/diaspora AGPL-3.0 decentralizeddistributedfederatedhacktoberfestrailsrubysocial-network
Stars
13,653
-2 this week
Forks
2,868
461 watching
Last commit
3mo ago
healthy
Latest release
v0.9.1.0
7mo ago, 92 total
Star history
Issues
91% closed
408
open
4,326
closed
+0 / -0
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
3 commits, active 2 of 26 weeks
265 contributors since Sep 2010
Languages
- Ruby 64.2%
- JavaScript 21%
- Haml 4.7%
- Other 10.1%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 15, 2026.
Website at a glance
diasporafoundation.org
F score 15
Weak website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 3d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
diaspora* alternatives
diaspora* license, in plain English
AGPL-3.0 Strong copyleft · network
Free to use, even commercially. Changes must be published under the same license, and running a modified version as a network service counts as distributing it.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: The network clause is the point. Anyone who runs a modified version as a hosted service has to publish those changes, so the code handling your data stays inspectable. This is why privacy-first projects reach for AGPL.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.
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