Best European Social Networks (2026)

Replaces

Social networks built in the US are primarily advertising businesses — they show you content designed to keep you scrolling, and sell your attention to the highest bidder. Your posts, likes, and reading habits are analysed to build a profile that follows you across the internet. European and open alternatives are mostly run as non-profits or cooperatives, where the users — not advertisers — are the priority.

Mastodon DE 🛡️ EU protected 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

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