diaspora* review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

diaspora* is a distributed social-networking platform built from independently operated servers called pods. People can join an existing pod or install the software on their own server, making it suited to privacy-focused communities, organizations, and operators that want control over hosting and data. Its browser-based experience supports cross-pod communication, photo and image uploads, tag-based discovery, user roles, moderation, and two-factor authentication. The project publishes its source code under the AGPL-3.0 license and is maintained as open-source software rather than sold as a conventional hosted SaaS product.

The pricing model reflects that structure. diaspora* is free and open source, while hosting costs depend on the pod operator or self-hosting setup. This gives communities a choice between joining an existing pod and managing their own server. Self-hosting can fit teams that already have server administration capability and want direct control over deployment, but it places operational responsibility with the operator. Communities seeking a packaged hosted subscription with standardized administration should look elsewhere.

diaspora* focuses on federated social networking rather than broad community-management coverage. Its core feature set includes independent pods, privacy-oriented networking, media sharing, tags, administrator and moderator roles, reported-post and comment review, custom domains, and two-factor authentication. That makes it a focused option for communities that value distributed ownership and moderation basics. It does not provide mobile apps, integrations, or event features, and its documented API methods are not implemented. Choose diaspora* when federation, self-hosting, and privacy are central requirements; choose an alternative when a wider platform ecosystem or richer community operations matter more.

diaspora* pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Federated communication across independently operated pods
  • Self-hosting with privacy-oriented networking and user control
  • Built-in media sharing, discovery, moderation, and two-factor authentication
• Where it doesn't
  • No mobile apps for native community access
  • No integrations or event-management features
  • Documented API methods are not implemented

diaspora* fact sheet, pricing and score →

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update