Notes 
PixelFed: Instagram Alternative
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
PixelFed
pixelfed.org 2 ratings so far*
Rate PixelFed: 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
The photo-sharing corner of the fediverse, and the most natural Instagram alternative for people who want images without ad targeting or an engagement algorithm. The familiar fediverse caveats apply: instances vary in size and reliability, and the audience is far smaller, so reach is modest. Choose it to post photos on infrastructure you can actually leave; manage expectations if you are chasing a large following.
GitHub at a glance
pixelfed/pixelfed AGPL-3.0 activitypubfederationfediverselaravelpixelfedsocial-network
Stars
7,138
+7 this week
Forks
896
104 watching
Last commit
today
healthy
Latest release
v0.15.2
13d ago, 56 total
Star history
Issues
97% closed
95
open
2,833
closed
+12 / -9
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
3,050 commits, active 22 of 26 weeks
195 contributors since Apr 2018
Languages
- PHP 70.1%
- Vue 21%
- Blade 8.7%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 10, 2026.
Website at a glance
pixelfed.org
C score 55
Basic 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.
PixelFed alternatives
PixelFed 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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