Comparison of software and protocols for distributed social networking

Distributed social network projects generally develop software, protocols, or both.

Project Name	Features	Software	Programming Language	License	Protocols	Privacy Support	Federation (with other applications or services)	Instances	Maturity
6d[1]( Dead Project )	Blog, media library, addressbook, themeable, private messaging	server[2]	PHP	MIT	HTTP + REST, microformats[3]	Addressbook to send posts to either individuals or groups.	not yet	demo[4] 5 total	alpha
Amplify	Trust-based search			Public Domain	HTTPS, Amplify Messaging Protocol	Provides fine grained privacy control through object capability security and transport layer encryption.	Application framework, webhook style sensor network		alpha
Anahita[5]	Anahita is an open source social networking platform and framework for building knowledge sharing apps and services		LAMP	GPL3		Provides privacy management based on social graph: public, registered, followers, leaders, mutuals, myself			stable
Appleseed[6]	Photos, Journals, Messaging, Groups, Privacy controls, Status Updates, Newsfeeds	server[7]	PHP	GPLv2	QuickSocial[8]	Friend circles used to categorize friends and restrict/allow access	Internally, others easily added (plugin architecture)	Appleseed[9] Approximately 120 total	cancelled project
Buddycloud[10][11]	Personal and topic channels, Buddycloud directory, channel search, channel recommender, media server, friend-finder, mobile and email push service, location, messaging	server,[12] client[13]	JavaScript, NodeJS, Java	Apache 2.0	XMPP,[11] Buddycloud Protocol,[14] Atom,[15] Activity Streams,[16] Location Query	Yes	Yes	Domains running buddycloud: 90[17]	stable
Cunity[18]	Friends, Photo Album, Filesharing, Messaging, Pinboard, Newsfeed, Memberlist, Forum, Connecting Cunities	server,[18] client[18]	PHP, Javascript, AJAX, JQuery	AGPLv3	HTTP, P2P	Yes	Connecting P2P	Hosted on your own webspace	beta (v1.0)
diaspora*	Status messages, blogging, photo sharing, privacy enhanced	server[19]	Ruby	AGPLv3	Diaspora,[20] Salmon[21]	Yes, through "aspects"	Yes, application framework in alpha	196 'pods' listed on The-Federation.info[22]	stable 0.6.0.1
Diaspora X^2[23]( Dead Project )		client[24] using buddycloud for federation			XMPP, buddycloud channels,[25] Activity Streams[23]	?	?	Diaspora X^2[26]	?
DiSo Project[27]		WordPress plugins[28]			microformats (XFN, hCard, XOXO), OpenID, OAuth, XMPP[27]	?	?		?
DSNP[29]		DSNPd (server daemon), ChoiceSocial (web interface)[29]			Distributed Social Networking Protocol (DSNP)[29][30]	?	?	Friends in Feed, ChoiceSocial.net, DistribSocial.net	beta (v0.6)
Duuit!	Search, microblogging, email, photos, videos, blogs, webpages, XMPP chat, video chat, collaborative drawing, document creation and editing, feed reader, profiles, files, games, groups, mood, privacy controls, customizable interface			GPLv2	FOAF, XMPP, OpenSocial, OAuth push/pull, OStatus (next release), scrobbling, RSS/Atom, opendd, PubSubHubbub, email, IRC	Excellent, acl, granular, profile, avatar, content	XMPP, OStatus in testing- due in next release		beta
Friend2Friend[31]	Strong encryption, XML for all data exchange, Data is digitally signed			LGPL		Connect to known individuals.	?		alpha
Friendica[32][33]	Rich profiles, networking groups, community/group/celebrity pages, richtext status (not specifically length limited), photo albums, YouTube share, location, like/dislike, multiple profiles w/assignment to specific friends, single sign on to post directly to friend's profiles on co-operating systems. Communications encryption. Fans and one-way relationships. Local and global directory services. Ability to restrict connection endpoints.	server[34]	PHP	AGPLv3[35]	OStatus components,[36] Diaspora, Facebook, OpenID, DFRN,[37] Zot[38]	extensive	Friendica, identi.ca/Status.Net, GNU-social, Facebook, Twitter, Diaspora, email, blogs/feeds/Google (via RSS/ATOM), more in development	19 servers accept registration [39]	stable
GNU social[40]	microblogging	Server[41] (formerly known as StatusNet)	PHP	AGPLv3	OStatus[42]	?	Yes		stable[43]
Hubzilla	decentralised identity and community platform, also provides blogs, rich social networking, cloud storage and internet-scale access control/privacy	Server	PHP, Javascript	MIT	zot	Extensive	via external connectors	230[44]	stable
Jappix[45]	XMPP client + Microblogging	server, web client		AGPL	XMPP	Excellent: based on presence authorizations	?	demo[46]	stable
Knowee	OpenID Signup, Activity Stream import and export, contact import from Web 2.0 services via XFN and FOAF, automatically updated address book from remote data sources, consolidated profile with RDF/FOAF export, personal SPARQL API			W3C	OpenID, FOAF	?	?		alpha
Kopal[47]	OpenID Core, multiple profiles	Server[48]	Ruby	MIT	OpenID, Kopal Connect protocol,[49] Kopal Feed microformat[50]	?	?		alpha
Kune[51]	real-time collaborative edition, XMPP chat, groups, calendar, lists, tasks, blogs, Apache Wave inbox (modern email), wave extensions (gadgets, robots), public webpages, profiles, galleries (photos, videos), maps, federation, usability	server, integrates Apache Wave	Java-based GWT (generates AJAX)	AGPLv3	XMPP, Wave Federation Protocol	Excellent	Total federation/interoperability with other Kune installations and Apache Wave accounts. XMPP chat interoperable with other XMPP-compliant	kune.cc,[52] demo,[53] 3 in total	stable
Lipsync.it[54]	Synchronization tool inspired by Dropbox			Simplified BSD	rsync, lsyncd, OpenSSH	Yes	planned		stable
Libertree[55]	Social network	Server and webclient	Ruby	AGPLv3		No		3	beta
Lorea[56]	Profiles, microblogging, streams, groups, plugins, group mailing lists, tasks, calendar, subgroups, tagclouds	Elgg,[57] plugins[58]		GPL	OpenID, Activity Streams, PubSubHubbub, WebID. Working on: OStatus[57] (60% production), XMPP/psyc (50% development), rdf+sparql (10% development)	Excellent	Supported through plugin.	5: project's group[59]	stable
Movim	XMPP client + Microblogging	server and webclient	PHP	AGPLv3	XMPP	not yet	not yet	5 'pods'[60]	alpha
Mr. Privacy[61]					SMTP, IMAP	Yes	Yes		?
Newebe[62]	one user = one node ; microblogging, picture sharing, activity stream	Server / web client	Python / Coffeescript	AGPL	HTTP, REST API				alpha
NoseRub[63]		sample server[64]			NoseRub protocol / WebID[65]	?	?	demo[66]	?
ObjectCloud	customization, flexible hosting, security, application platform			SimPL 2.0	OpenID, Particle	Yes	?	2	alpha
OneSocialWeb[67]	Microblogging	Openfire plugin, clients[68]	Java	Apache 2	XMPP, XMPP extensions[69]	Yes	Yes		alpha
OpenAutonomy[70]	Micro-blogging, RSS aggregation, Cloud storage	server,[71] web client,[71] non-web applications,[72]	PHP (server), Javascript (web client), Java (native applications)	MIT	OpenAutonomy, XML-RPC	Trusted user list and fine-grained trusted sub-groups	All components intrinsically federated	4 known	stable (r210)[71]
OpenLink Data Spaces (ODS)[73]	Profile Management, Blogs, Wikis, Address Books, Calendars, Feed Aggregation, Discussion Forums (includes NNTP support), File Servers (WebDAV based Briefcase).			Dual (Commercial and GPL for Open Source Edition)	WebID, Webfinger, OpenID, OAuth, HTTP, SPARQL, Atom Publishing, PubSubHubbub, Semantic Pingback, OpenSocial, Social Graph API, Portable Contacts, more.	WebID and others	Yes	id.myopenlink.net[74] among others	stable
OpenMicroBlogger	User-toggleable "apps" to add/remove functionality. RSSCloud and partial OStatus (PubSubHubbub) federation as well as Open Microblogging 0.1. Local follow/unfollow. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr integration. (partial) Twitter API support. Fully Restful design, user interface consumes Rest API.			MIT	Open Microblogging 0.1, RSSCloud, (partial) OStatus (PubSubHubbub)	Yes	Yes		alpha
ownCloud	online storage, data synchronization, file encryption, calendar, task scheduler, address book, media streaming, content sharing, bookmarking, photo gallery, video viewer, RSS/Atom feed reader	server, client, web-client	PHP, JavaScript	AGPLv3	WebDAV, Federated Cloud Sharing API,[75] Open Collaboration Services	Yes	Yes	service providers[76]	stable
Project Danube	1) Sharing personal data with companies/organizations 2) Sharing personal data with "friends" 3) Use of personal data for "personal applications"			TBD, likely Eclipse or Apache	OStatus, OAuth 2.0, Webfinger, hCard, Portable Contacts, XRI, XDI, PubSubHubbub, Salmon	?	StatusNet and Cliqset, among others		alpha
Project Nori					OStatus, OAuth, Portable Contacts, Webfinger, and other open protocols	?	Yes		alpha
psyced	profiles, chat, microblogging	Server, Clients optional	LPC[77]	GPLv2 MIT [78]	PSYC, XMPP, IRC, TELNET, HTTP, Applet, SMTP, WAP, RSS	OTR, friends-only functions and profile, secret chatrooms, presence, tor integration	PSYC and XMPP	5 public known ones in 2016[79]	stable
pump.io	stream server supporting social networking capabilities	Server, Clients	JavaScript	Apache 2.0	pump.io API[80]	Yes	Yes	72,[81] including Identi.ca	alpha (0.3.0)
Retroshare	Private messaging	server[82]	C++	Various Open Source licenses (with some exceptions)[83]	GPG, OpenSSL				stable
RSSN	private messaging, groups				RSSN	?	?		alpha
Safebook[84]				GPL		Extensive, including communication untraceability	?	demo[85]	beta[86]
Salut à Toi[87][88]	multi-frontends, microblogging, group microblogging, file sharing, games, XMPP client	XMPP client (multi-frontends), web server, SMTP/IMAP server	Python, C++	AGPL	XMPP	through XMPP groups, presence authorisation	XMPP native federation	demo[89]	alpha
SMOB	microblogging				FOAF	?	?		unmaintained
Social-Igniter[90]	friends, places, status, comments, modular apps (messages, blog, cart, media), themes, mobile themes, 3rd party integration (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), editable widgets,	server		GPL	Webfinger, PubSubHubbub, OpenID, OAuth, Activity Streams	Yes	Yes	3	alpha
SocialRiver[91]				GPL AGPL	OStatus,[92] OpenID, will add support for OAuth	Private Messaging, Privacy Controls	Yes		?
SocialZE[93]		server, web client			OSMP (Open Social Message Protocol)	Yes	?		alpha
Socknet Provider- FoolishMortal.org	profiles, messaging, enables internet content sharing				Socknet, OpenID	No	Yes		beta
Sone[94]	microblogging, media library, decentralized spam protection	P2P client, web interface	Java, Javascript	GPL	Freenet	Yes, Multiple Anonymous Identities, private messages via the Freemail plugin with Forward secrecy	Partial, Sone messages can be read from the FMS Forum system		beta
Sparkleshare[95]	Collaboration and sharing tool inspired by Dropbox		Python (Nautilus plugin), C# (rest)	GPLv3	SSH	Yes, encryption option	planned		alpha
Tent[96]	Profiles, Developer-extensible Post and Profile Types, Data Import, Groups, Privacy Controls, Content versioning	server,[97] clients[98]	Ruby (reference implementations)	MIT (reference implementation)	Tent, HTTPS	Yes Granular permissions (Access Control Lists for all content)	Yes	Tent.is	alpha (0.2)
Thimbl[99]	microblogging				Finger, SSH	?	Planned for future		alpha
Twister[100]	microblogging	P2P client, web interface	C++, Javascript	MIT and BSD	Bitcoin, Torrent, DHT	Yes End-to-end encryption for private messages	not yet		beta
twtxt[101]	microblogging	Terminal	Python (reference implementation)	MIT (reference implementation)	HTTP(S), REST	No	?	Approximately 100[102]	alpha
Weestit					XMPP, HTTP, OStatus, SMTP, POP	Yes	Planned		alpha

References

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