Pixelfed: Open-Source Photo Sharing Social Network for Visual Content

What is Pixelfed?

Pixelfed is an open-source, Instagram-like social network focused on photo sharing and visual content. Built with Laravel and designed for federation and interoperability, Pixelfed enables users to share photos, follow other creators, and build communities without surveillance or algorithmic feed manipulation. Over 50,000 users share photos on Pixelfed instances worldwide.

Unlike Instagram ($0 free with surveillance) where all activity is tracked and monetized through advertising, Pixelfed respects user privacy with no tracking or algorithmic feed. Users host content on self-hosted instances or join existing instances.

Pixelfed serves as the photo sharing platform for creators. Photographers share portfolio. Artists showcase work. Communities form around visual interests.

Key Features and Capabilities

Photo Sharing

• Photo Upload: Upload multiple photos with filters
• Captions: Add captions and descriptions to photos
• Hashtags: Categorize photos with hashtags
• Location Tags: Tag location for photo metadata
• Collections: Create collections of related photos
• Stories: Share temporary stories that disappear

Social Features

• Follow Users: Follow other users for content
• Likes: Like and appreciate photos
• Comments: Comment on photos and discuss
• Shares: Share photos with direct messages
• Notifications: Get notified of interactions
• Explore: Discover new content and creators

Privacy and Control

• No Tracking: No analytics or tracking by default
• Privacy Settings: Control who can see content
• Block Users: Block specific users from seeing content
• Report Content: Report inappropriate content
• Data Export: Export all personal data

System Requirements

Server Requirements

• OS: Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+)
• PHP: 7.3+ with Laravel
• PostgreSQL: 10+ for database
• RAM: 2GB minimum, 4GB+ recommended
• Storage: 100GB+ for photo storage

Installation

Docker Installation

docker run -d 
  --name pixelfed 
  -p 8000:8000 
  -v pixelfed_data:/storage 
  pixelfed/pixelfed:latest

# Access at http://localhost:8000

Advantages

• Privacy Focused: No tracking or surveillance
• No Ads: Ad-free experience
• Decentralized: Federation across instances
• Content Control: Complete ownership of photos
• Free and Open Source: Community-driven development

Pricing and Licensing

Software Cost: Completely free and open-source under AGPL License