Freedom251 › Community Platforms
Minds
by Minds
What Minds is
Minds is a social networking platform for sharing posts, media and conversations, with tools for creators and community operators. It is available on the web, Android and iOS, and its platform and mobile app are licensed under AGPLv3. Core features include a newsfeed, search, groups, chat, blogs, video, photos, tips, memberships, paid replies and notifications. Minds also offers Boost, affiliate, rewards, analytics and monetization features. Minds+ adds channel verification, comment spotlight, premium creator content and publishing to the Minds+ feed. Video upload limits differ by plan: Free allows videos up to 20 minutes, while Plus and Pro list limits of 60 minutes. The Free plan also includes 30-day video storage, groups, encrypted chat, ActivityPub federation and YouTube sync. Minds supports private spaces and custom domains. Minds Networks offers branded community options, with Team aimed at 20–250+ users, Community at 250–5,000+ users and Business at unlimited users. The service says users may sign up anonymously and that observational analytics are not shared with outside companies for tracking. It offers a free plan and a free trial; paid plans include creator subscriptions and Networks tiers. Mobile versions have limits on monetization and NSFW features.
Who it suits
Minds suits people looking for an open-source social network with groups, chat, media sharing and creator monetization. Minds+ is aimed at creators, while Minds Networks is intended for creators and community leads running branded community apps.
What it does well
- Open-source platform and mobile app licensed under AGPLv3
- Available on web, Android and iOS
- Free plan includes encrypted chat and ActivityPub federation
- Minds+ adds channel verification and premium creator content
- Supports private spaces and custom domains
What to know first
- Free-plan video uploads are limited to 20 minutes
- Monetization and NSFW features are limited on mobile
- NSFW content is unavailable in the iOS App Store and Google Play apps
Limits
The Free plan allows 20-minute video uploads and 30-day video storage. Plus and Pro list 60-minute video upload limits; mobile monetization and NSFW features are limited.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | text/image/audio/video posts · blogs · 20-minute video uploads · 30-day video storage · groups · encrypted chat · ActivityPub federation · YouTube sync · Boost · affiliate and token rewards | Free |
| Plus | Starting at $8 / month · 60-minute videos · unlimited video storage · exclusive Minds+ content · hide boosted content · audio uploads · Boost credits · verification · premium badges · comments spotlight · paid Supermind challenges · token withdrawals | $8 a month |
| Pro | Starting at $58 / month · Plus features · post from own domain · team-tier Minds Network · cash payouts · Minds+ paywall content · custom memberships | $58 a month |
| Business | Starting at $1,000 / month · 1,250 video upload minutes · 300,000 video viewing minutes · 300,000 interaction events · best for unlimited users | $1,000 a month |
| Team | Starting at $50 / month · 30 video upload minutes · 8,000 video viewing minutes · 8,000 interaction events · best for 20–250+ users | $50 a month |
| Community | Starting at $500 / month · 500 video upload minutes · 120,000 video viewing minutes · 120,000 interaction events · best for 250–5,000+ users | $500 a month |
As minds.com lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit https://www.minds.com/
- Choose the web version or use the Android or iOS app.
- Sign up, including anonymously if preferred.
- Start with the Free plan or consider a free trial.
- Choose a plan based on creator features or Networks needs.
Verdict
Choose Minds for a social network with creator tools, community features and an open-source license. Creators seeking Minds+ features can compare Plus at $8 a month with Pro at $58 a month; mobile users should account for limits on monetization and NSFW features.
Questions
Is Minds free?
Yes. Its Free plan costs nothing, and Minds also offers a free trial.
What do the paid creator plans cost?
Plus costs $8 a month and Pro costs $58 a month.
Which platforms can I use?
Minds is available on the web, Android and iOS.
Is Minds open source?
Yes. Minds says its platform and mobile app are licensed under AGPLv3.
What are the video upload limits?
Free allows uploads up to 20 minutes; Plus and Pro list 60-minute limits.
What integrations does Minds support?
Minds supports ActivityPub federation and YouTube sync. Networks also describes interoperability with RSS, DNS, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Stripe.
Facts from Minds's own pages
- API
- The backend exposes CLI and REST controllers, with newer endpoints under API v2 and older endpoints under API v1. · developers.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Apple app requirements
- The iOS app requires iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later and is rated 16+ with in-app purchases. · apps.apple.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Developer documentation describes session-cookie and OAuth authentication, with OAuth used by mobile clients. · developers.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Chat architecture
- Minds Chat is a Matrix fork with calls and federation restricted, and users authenticate with their Minds.com credentials through OIDC. · help.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Community apps
- Organizations can launch custom-domain web, Android and iOS community apps and keep control of code, data, contacts, content and communications. · minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company founded
- Minds was founded in 2011 by Bill Ottman, according to its help center. · help.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut and a company size of 11–50 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- The company is identified as Minds, Inc., a privately held Delaware corporation. · crunchbase.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Core features
- The service lists feeds, discovery, search, groups, chat, blogs, video, photos, tips, memberships, paid replies, notifications, Boost, affiliate tools, rewards, analytics and monetization. · minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Custom domain
- Yes · help.minds.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Documentation depth
- The developer site includes installation, architecture, backend, deployment, frontend, GraphQL, mobile, platform, infrastructure, plugin, decentralization and testing guides. · developers.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2011 · minds.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · help.minds.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Funding
- Minds says it raised more than $1 million from over 1,500 investors through a Regulation CF crowdfunding campaign. · help.minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Minds states that it interoperates with ActivityPub, RSS, DNS, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Stripe, among other protocols and services. · minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The Minds repositories state that the software is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3. · gitlab.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: low activity
- Reviewers complain that Minds has a small or declining user base, making it difficult to find friends and sustained audience activity. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: missing or buggy features
- Reviewers cite bugs, slow updates, notification failures, poor polish and missing social functions such as polls, multi-image posts and comment sharing. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: mobile restrictions
- Apple reviewers mention limited feeds or difficulty accessing some content, while official documentation confirms monetization and NSFW restrictions on mobile. · apps.apple.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: moderation and abuse
- Trustpilot reviewers report harassment, ideological echo chambers, bullying and dissatisfaction with account bans or abuse handling. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Minds+ creator tools
- Minds+ includes channel verification, a spotlight for comments, access to premium creator content, and the ability to publish to the Minds+ feed. · minds.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Minds+ reach
- Plus subscribers receive access to the Minds+ feed and up to $7 in monthly Boost credits. · minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Minds+ verification
- Minds+ includes channel verification, premium badges, comment spotlighting and access to subscriber-only content. · minds.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Mobile apps
- both · help.minds.com, 20 Sept 2026
Where Minds stands on Freedom251
- Community Platforms#2 of 126