Friendica

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhoneLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

What Friendica is

Friendica is a free, open-source decentralized social network for keeping in contact with people. Members can publish and edit posts, comment, react, share photos, organize events, and select which profile details are public or private. Access lists control post visibility, private conversation groups support limited audiences, and old content can optionally expire. Users can download their personal data. Friendica connects with compatible services through ActivityPub, OStatus, and diaspora* protocols. It also supports two-way email contacts and communication through IMAP4rev1 and ESMTP, while RSS and Atom feeds can import websites and blogs. People may join a public server or install a personal server for themselves, family, or friends. The software runs on PHP with MySQL and can run on shared hosts that support WordPress, according to its site. Web, Linux, iOS, Android, API, and self-hosted options are listed, with GNU Social and Mastodon compatible APIs. Third-party plugins and themes extend functionality.

Who it suits

Friendica suits people who want decentralized social networking with control over hosting, audiences, and personal data. It also fits users needing federation, email contacts, feeds, or extensibility through plugins and themes.

What it does well

Free, open-source software
Supports ActivityPub, OStatus, and diaspora* federation
Offers post access lists and private groups
Users can download personal data
Can run on public or personal servers

What to know first

Personal hosting requires a remote GNU/Linux server
Installation needs command-line access for background tasks
Self-hosting requires PHP and MySQL
Public-server features depend on the chosen host

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Friendica (free software)	Free software; host your own server or create an account on a public server	Free

As friendi.ca lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Friendica website
Create an account on a public Friendica server
Or prepare a remote GNU/Linux server
Install Friendica with PHP and a MySQL database
Use command-line access to enable background tasks
Connect through the web, Android, iOS, API, or another listed client

Verdict

Friendica combines familiar social features with federation, privacy controls, and self-hosting options. It is free to use, but running your own instance requires server setup and command-line administration.

Questions

How much does Friendica cost?

The listed Friendica plan costs nothing. It is free software, and you can host your own server or create an account on a public server.

Which platforms does Friendica support?

Friendica lists web, Linux, iOS, Android, API, and self-hosted platforms.

Can Friendica connect to other networks?

Yes. ActivityPub, OStatus, and diaspora* protocols connect Friendica with compatible services. GNU Social-compatible and Mastodon-compatible APIs are also provided.

Can I host Friendica myself?

Yes. You can install a personal server for yourself, family, or friends. The software runs on PHP with a MySQL database and has installation guidance for remote GNU/Linux servers.

Does Friendica offer privacy controls?

You can set access lists for posts, create private conversation groups, expire older content optionally, and choose public or private profile details.

Is Friendica open source?

Yes. Friendica is listed as open-source, free software, with third-party plugins and themes available for extending and personalizing it.

Facts from Friendica's own pages

Core features: Users can publish and edit posts, comment on and react to posts, share photos, organize events, and choose public or private profile details. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Custom domain: Yes · git.friendi.ca, 20 Sept 2026
Data ownership: Users can download their personal data. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Email and feeds: Friendica supports two-way email contacts and communications via IMAP4rev1/ESMTP, and can import websites and blogs via RSS/Atom feeds. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Event hosting: Yes · git.friendi.ca, 20 Sept 2026
Extensibility: Third-party plugins and themes can add functionality, personalize the interface, and connect to third-party services. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Federation: Friendica supports ActivityPub, OStatus, and diaspora* protocols to connect with compatible services. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Hosting model: Users can join a public server or install a personal Friendica server for themselves, family, or friends. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Installation needs: The installation guide describes a remote GNU/Linux server setup and requires server command-line access to enable background tasks. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Mobile clients and API: Friendica provides a GNU Social compatible API and a Mastodon compatible API, and lists dedicated Android and other mobile clients. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Moderation tools: Yes · git.friendi.ca, 20 Sept 2026
Privacy controls: Users can set access lists for posts, create private conversation groups, and optionally expire old content. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Private spaces: Yes · git.friendi.ca, 20 Sept 2026
Security updates: The Friendica 2026.05 release announcement says the release includes fixes for security problems reported by Doyensec/Mastodon. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Server stack: Friendica runs on PHP with a MySQL database, and the site says it can run on shared hosts that can run WordPress. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Social network: Friendica is a decentralized social network for keeping in contact with people. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The installation guide directs users with persistent problems to the Friendica Support forum or mailing list. · friendi.ca, 12 Oct 2026

Where Friendica stands on Freedom251

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