Pixelfed is a federated, open source photo sharing platform where your posts, followers, and identity are hosted on a server you control or choose, and connect with users across the wider Fediverse without going through Instagram's corporate infrastructure.
The Problem
Instagram monetizes your photos through advertising targeting, controls the algorithm that determines what your followers actually see, and can restrict or remove accounts without a consistent or transparent appeals process. For photographers and creators who want their photo library and social graph on their own terms, Instagram provides no export that works elsewhere and no federated identity that survives platform changes.
How Pixelfed Solves It
Pixelfed implements the Instagram format (photo-forward feed, stories) on top of ActivityPub, the same protocol powering Mastodon and PeerTube. Your Pixelfed account federates with Mastodon accounts, meaning followers on Mastodon can follow your Pixelfed photo posts in their timeline. Self-host your own Pixelfed instance to keep your photo library and follower data on your own server, or join an existing public instance.
Key Features
- Photo sharing with chronological and curated feed options, no opaque algorithm by default
- ActivityPub federation: Mastodon and other Fediverse users can follow your account cross-platform
- Stories format with 24-hour expiration, compatible with followers across federated servers
- No advertising, no algorithmic promotion, no data monetization on self-hosted instances
- Self-host with Docker on any Linux server, or join a public instance
- AGPL-3.0 licensed open source codebase
Who It's For
Pixelfed is best for photographers, visual artists, and privacy-focused communities who want an Instagram-style platform where their photo library and follower relationships are not controlled by a single corporation, and where federation means one company cannot cut off their audience.
Compared to Instagram
Unlike Instagram, Pixelfed runs on an open protocol so your follower relationships work across compatible Fediverse services. Your photos live on a server you choose or control, not on Meta's infrastructure. There is no advertising or algorithmic feed on self-hosted instances.
