Alternatives / X (Twitter)
These networks take different approaches: Mastodon federates independently operated servers through ActivityPub; Bluesky uses AT Protocol to separate identity, data hosting, feeds, moderation, and apps; Hey is built around Lens and blockchain infrastructure, but its current production development is no longer open source.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
X centralizes its primary application, accounts, moderation, ranking, advertising, API, and network policies. Mastodon decentralizes through ActivityPub federation between independently operated servers. Bluesky separates identity, data hosting, feeds, moderation, indexing, and applications into protocol components. Hey uses a blockchain-oriented social model built around Lens and portable identity concepts.
ActivityPub is a W3C standard used by Mastodon and many Fediverse services, whose servers communicate directly. AT Protocol, created by Bluesky, separates identity, personal data repositories, relays, app views, feeds, and moderation services so different components can participate in one network. The protocols support different models of federation and decentralization.
Mastodon supports public posts, replies, reposts, media, polls, following, hashtags, and profiles. The governance difference is that each instance sets local rules and decides which servers to federate with; there is no single global Mastodon moderation policy. Server choice, discovery, fragmented network effects, and account migration can feel less simple than a centralized service.
Bluesky's app feels closer to Twitter/X, with familiar timelines, profiles, replies, reposts, likes, and custom feeds. AT Protocol adds domain-based identities, algorithmic choice, third-party clients, and separately operated network services. Its architecture is more complex than a traditional centralized social platform and does not work the same way as ActivityPub federation.
Mastodon offers the most conventional self-hosting model: operate an instance with accounts and moderation, then federate with other ActivityPub servers. Bluesky's decentralization spans several protocol services rather than one Mastodon-style server application. Mastodon supports moving accounts between compatible servers, while AT Protocol more fundamentally separates identity from an application and supports domain-based handles. Hey's Lens model uses blockchain infrastructure and is not traditional self-hosting.
Decentralization does not remove moderation; it changes where decisions happen. Mastodon instances can moderate users and block servers. AT Protocol supports modular moderation services and user-selected labeling systems. Hey is shaped by the application's policies and Lens ecosystem. Account identifiers, metadata, server relationships, and moderation controls differ between each model.
Hey was historically published under GPL-3.0, but its public GitHub repository is a snapshot of the last open-source version before May 15, 2026. Current production development is not publicly available there, so historical stars and source should not be treated as representative of the current product's open-source status.
People look for X alternatives to use open-source software, decentralized networks, portable identities, community-controlled moderation, custom feeds, chronological timelines, and interoperability without depending on one social-media operator. The major differences are the network architecture, who operates servers, how users move identities, how moderation and metadata work, and the size of the network.
| Alternative | Network model | License | Status | GitHub popularity | Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastodon | ActivityPub / federated | AGPL-3.0 | Open source | ~50.3k | Yes |
| Hey | Lens / blockchain | Historical GPL-3.0 | Current production not open source | ~29.4k historical repo | No traditional self-hosting |
| Bluesky | AT Protocol | MIT app / MIT + Apache-2.0 protocol | Open source | ~18.3k app / ~9.7k protocol | Protocol components can be operated independently |
Want an established open-source decentralized network
Mastodon has a mature ActivityPub-based codebase, a large Fediverse ecosystem, and independently operated servers with their own policies.
Want an experience closest to Twitter/X
Bluesky keeps familiar posts, replies, reposts, likes, lists, and feeds while using AT Protocol infrastructure.
Want to self-host a community
You can operate a Mastodon instance, set its registration and moderation policies, and federate with compatible ActivityPub servers.
Want custom algorithms and feeds
Bluesky lets users subscribe to custom feeds rather than relying on only one platform-wide recommendation system.
Want interoperability with the broader Fediverse
ActivityPub is used by Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, Lemmy, WriteFreely, and many other federated services.
Want a blockchain-based social network
Hey uses the Lens ecosystem and blockchain-based identity and social graph concepts, but its current production development is no longer open source.
Want current public production source code
Mastodon and Bluesky have active public repositories with current production-related source; Hey's public repository is a historical snapshot.
Want an open protocol with portable identity
AT Protocol separates identity from individual apps and hosting components and supports domain-based handles; Mastodon supports account migration between compatible servers.