Best European Alternatives to X (Twitter) (2026)
X, formerly Twitter, changed dramatically after Elon Musk's acquisition — moderation collapsed, data-sharing practices became opaque, and the company moved closer to US government influence. As a US platform, X collects detailed data on your posts, follows, and reading habits with limited accountability. European microblogging alternatives are mostly open-source and decentralised, meaning no single company owns your data or the platform.
Replace X (Twitter) with a private, EU-based social network. Compare Mastodon, Pleroma. All GDPR-compliant, operated under EU privacy law.
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Mastodon (Germany)
— A social network like Twitter but with no ads and no algorithm — join any community and talk to people across the whole network.
✓ Open source✓ Free tier -
Pleroma (EU/Global)
— Lightweight social network that connects to Mastodon and the wider Fediverse, easy to self-host on a modest server.
✓ Open source✓ Free tier✓ No account needed
