One of the things I love most about the Fediverse is that I can replace multiple social media accounts with just one. For me, that one is Mastodon because Twitter was my very favourite social media way back when it first started. But I get to follow people over on Pixelfed and Loops and Lemmy and PeerTube, (and Bluesky but we’ll get to that in another post).
If you’re exhausted with trying to maintain accounts on multiple different platforms, why not give the Fediverse a go and just pick the platform that suits what you love about social media. Here’s a brief overview of some that you might want to consider.
Mastodon.
You’ve probably heard of Mastodon, it’s billed as a Twitter alternative because it’s micro blogging. You can send text posts, add pictures or videos, and include links, but the feed resembles OG Twitter.
Mastodon is the most established Fediverse platform but don’t let that make you feel forced to start there. If you’re not a fan of Twitter chats, text focused content, or you just prefer something different it makes the most sense to start somewhere that fits your social media needs.
If you do opt for Mastodon, my strong advice is to not choose a huge server like Mastodon.Social and to instead find a smaller server that aligns with your vibes.
Mastodon key points include:
- Text based – character limit varies by server.
- 4 photo limit per post.
- Short videos.
- Links (which don’t get demoted because there’s no algorithm).
We’re chatting a lot about Mastodon over on my pay what you can Patreon because that’s where most people have started.
Pixelfed.
Pixelfed has been gaining popularity since Meta went… well, you know what Meta did. Pixelfed is the main Instagram alternative on the Fediverse where the focus is on photos – and everyone’s beloved reverse chronological feed.
If you love images and are very visual, or you just enjoy the vibe of Instagram, it’s a great option to try out.


Remember that you can follow people anywhere on the Fediverse regardless of what platform you’re on – so in the image above you can see my Mastodon account and my Pixelfed account both viewed through Pixelfed. Keep in mind though that if you’re on a media focused platform, text only posts won’t show.
I don’t use my Pixelfed account anymore simply because I adore having only 1 account to think about and engage with – the platform is wonderful and I heartily recommend it.
Key Pixelfed points are:
- Photo focused.
- Stories (like Instagram).
- Carousel posts (like Instagram).
Loops.
Loops is a new addition to the Fediverse and is a TikTok alternative. Being so new it’s very much finding its feet but if you love TikTok (I don’t, I hate it, it’s like someone turned sensory overload into an app), give it a go.
Loops key points include:
- Short videos.
- Brand new.
Bookwyrm.
It’s Goodreads only not owned by Amazon and with an actual community! I actually use Storygraph as my Goodreads alternative because I love how it functions, their options, and supporting a Black woman owned company is important to me, but Bookwyrm is a really great Fediverse option if you want to defederate everything!
- Books and book lovers everywhere!
- Review your reads.
WriteFreely.
The Fediverse’s answer to Medium or Substack, WriteFreely is a perfect choice for long form writers, bloggers, and people who just love to let the words flow.
Key WriteFreely info:
- Long form writing.
- Publishes across the entire Fediverse.
PeerTube.
Imagine if YouTube wasn’t owned by people who scrapped the motto “don’t be evil.” You can – it’s called PeerTube! PeerTube is for long form video and if I could convince the hundreds of YouTubers I watch to head over there, I’d be ditching YouTube premium so fast – c’mon DnD YouTubers, flee to the Fediverse!
PeerTube key info:
- Longer form video.
- No ads, obvs.
Lemmy.
Reddit style forums on the Fediverse! Lemmy is a community focused platform with 45,000 active users, of which I am not one because I never got into Reddit. But I do follow the knitting group on Lemmy from my Mastodon account because the Fediverse is awesome!
Key info about Lemmy:
- Community focused.
- Link aggregator.

Wherever you end up on the Fediverse though, you can always connect with people who chose other platforms – and that is part of the joy of it!
If you want some hand holding or to ask specific questions about moving to the Fediverse, head over and join my Patreon – it’s pay what you can so I can help as many people as possible make the leap in the least scary way.