Own your account, your data, your feed
Leave the platform. Keep the people.
Fediverse apps, Nostr clients, decentralized storage, private messaging, identity, and DePIN networks, sorted by what they replace and described from each project's own site.
- Listings
- 278
- Categories
- 8
- Featured
- 0
Browse by type
Categories
Social & Fediverse
Federated social platforms and clients built on ActivityPub and the AT Protocol: Mastodon, Lemmy, PeerTube, Pixelfed, Bluesky apps and the servers behind them.
Nostr Clients & Relays
Apps, signers, relays and services built on Nostr, the relay-based protocol for social media and messaging that users control with their own keys.
Decentralized Storage
Networks, gateways and services that store files across many independent providers instead of one cloud: IPFS, Filecoin, Arweave, Storj, Sia and self-hosted sync tools.
Private & Federated Messaging
Chat, voice and video that runs on open protocols or peer-to-peer networks: Matrix, XMPP, SimpleX, Session, Briar and the servers and clients around them.
Decentralized Identity
Self-sovereign identity, verifiable credentials and proof-of-personhood: DID methods, wallet and credential infrastructure, and sign-in standards that avoid platform accounts.
DePIN Networks
Physical infrastructure networks built by contributors: wireless coverage, mapping, weather and sensor data, GNSS corrections, bandwidth and connectivity.
Compute & Hosting
Decentralized compute marketplaces, GPU networks and self-hosting platforms that replace centralized cloud providers for apps, AI workloads and personal servers.
Domains & DNS
Naming systems outside the traditional registrar stack: ENS, Handshake, Namecoin, multichain name services, resolvers and gateways for decentralized websites.
Editor's picks
Standout decentralized tools
Disroot
Volunteer-run platform of online services built on free software and the principles of privacy, federation and decentralization, including XMPP, email, cloud and forums.
Mastodon
Free, open-source microblogging server that anyone can run; servers interoperate over ActivityPub so accounts on different instances can follow each other. The project site explains the network and helps new users pick a server.
PeerTube
Free software for running a video platform, developed by Framasoft. Instances federate with each other and use peer-to-peer streaming to share bandwidth, and the network hosts hundreds of thousands of videos.
IPFS
Content-addressed peer-to-peer protocol and software stack for storing and retrieving files by hash rather than by server location, used as the base layer for many decentralized apps.
Storj
Distributed cloud object storage that splits and spreads encrypted file pieces across independent nodes, offered as an S3-compatible service at lower cost than mainstream clouds.
Misskey
Decentralized social networking server from Japan with a highly customizable interface and reactions. The official hub documents how to run a server and lists public instances.
Human Passport
Identity verification and Sybil-resistance protocol, formerly Gitcoin Passport, where users collect stamps that prove they are a unique person without revealing personal data.
Matrix
Open protocol and reference implementations for secure decentralized communication, where independent homeservers federate and users keep accounts on the server they choose.
XMPP
The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol: an open standard for instant messaging, presence, group chat, calls and routing, maintained by the XMPP Standards Foundation.
Ranked shortlists
Best decentralized tools by category
Browse
All decentralized tools
Disroot
Volunteer-run platform of online services built on free software and the principles of privacy, federation and decentralization, including XMPP, email, cloud and forums.
Mastodon
Free, open-source microblogging server that anyone can run; servers interoperate over ActivityPub so accounts on different instances can follow each other. The project site explains the network and helps new users pick a server.
PeerTube
Free software for running a video platform, developed by Framasoft. Instances federate with each other and use peer-to-peer streaming to share bandwidth, and the network hosts hundreds of thousands of videos.
IPFS
Content-addressed peer-to-peer protocol and software stack for storing and retrieving files by hash rather than by server location, used as the base layer for many decentralized apps.
Storj
Distributed cloud object storage that splits and spreads encrypted file pieces across independent nodes, offered as an S3-compatible service at lower cost than mainstream clouds.
Misskey
Decentralized social networking server from Japan with a highly customizable interface and reactions. The official hub documents how to run a server and lists public instances.
Human Passport
Identity verification and Sybil-resistance protocol, formerly Gitcoin Passport, where users collect stamps that prove they are a unique person without revealing personal data.
Matrix
Open protocol and reference implementations for secure decentralized communication, where independent homeservers federate and users keep accounts on the server they choose.
XMPP
The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol: an open standard for instant messaging, presence, group chat, calls and routing, maintained by the XMPP Standards Foundation.
The short version
What decentralized means here
A decentralized tool does not depend on one company's servers or one company's permission. Federated apps run on many independent servers that talk to each other. Protocol-based apps like Nostr let you carry your identity between clients.
This directory groups tools by the centralized service they replace: social feeds, cloud storage, messaging, identity, hosting, and DNS. Each entry links to the project so you can read its own claims and code.
Decentralized does not mean private or safe by default. Check who runs the server you join and how keys and backups work.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How are tools verified?
Each listing came from the project's own website or code repository, confirmed live when listed. We do not audit security or privacy claims.
Is a decentralized tool automatically private?
No. Federated posts are often public across servers, and server admins can see a lot. Read each project's privacy documentation.
Do projects pay to be listed?
No. Basic listings are free. Featured placements, if offered, are labeled.
How do I add or fix a listing?
Use the Add a listing form or Claim this listing on a project page.