Pleroma review
An open-source, ActivityPub social network for posting across independently run servers.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pleroma is open-source social networking software for people who want to post on a federated network rather than rely on one central service. Join an existing instance or run a server of your own; either way, Pleroma communicates through ActivityPub with Mastodon and other compatible services. Its web frontend supports posts with mentions, URLs, hashtags, and attachments, plus timelines, notifications, search, and one-to-one chats. This makes it a fit for individuals and communities seeking a self-hosted alternative with more than basic posting and replies.
The feature set covers both audience control and day-to-day interaction. Posts can be public, unlisted, followers-only, or direct, and users can reply, repost, favorite, react, and bookmark. The documented default post limit is 5,000 characters, though instance configuration can affect it. Pleroma-FE is the default web interface, and alternate frontends can be configured. Those options are useful in a federated setup, where each server is independently operated; the tradeoff is that registration and available features may differ from one instance to another.
Pleroma is server software, not a listed mobile app: the platform details specify web-only mobile access, while compatible third-party clients may also be used. Choosing an existing instance avoids running infrastructure, while self-hosting brings instance administration and moderation tools into scope. Support is through community and documentation. Choose Pleroma if control over hosting and federation matter alongside timelines and interactions. It is a weaker fit for someone who expects a uniform service across instances or a dedicated mobile app experience.
Pleroma pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Federates with Mastodon and other ActivityPub implementations
- Offers four visibility settings, from public to direct
- Combines timelines, search, chats, reactions, and bookmarks
- Where it doesn't
- Mobile access is web-only in the listed platform details
- Registration and available features vary by instance
- Running a server means taking on instance administration
Pleroma fact sheet, pricing and score →
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