diaspora*: Google+ Alternative
Official website diasporafoundation.org
Our take
One of the original federated social networks, and its decentralized, you-own-your-data model still reads well on paper. The hard truth is momentum: the network is quiet, active development has slowed, and a social tool is only as good as the people on it. Worth a look if you specifically want its pod-based design and history; for an active community today, a busier fediverse platform will serve you better.
GitHub at a glance
diaspora/diaspora
Stars
13,658
+ 3 this week
Last commit
2mo ago
healthy
License
AGPL-3.0
Latest release
v0.9.1.0
2mo ago
Stars, last 10d
Listed in
diaspora* alternatives
diaspora* 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.