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pixelfed/pixelfed

Pixelfed is an open-source, ad-free photo sharing platform that federates with the fediverse via ActivityPub.

Open-source alternative to:Instagram

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What is it?

Pixelfed is a photo sharing social network built with PHP and the Laravel framework. Users post casual snapshots or creative photography, and content is discovered through a chronological-style feed rather than an algorithmic ranking, according to its positioning as a platform without algorithmic barriers.

Pixelfed participates in the fediverse through ActivityPub, so accounts on one instance can follow and interact with users on other compatible servers. Anyone can run their own instance, and the project provides Docker Compose setups for deployment, with non-Docker installs also supported.

The project targets MySQL 8+ and MariaDB 11+ as officially supported databases, with PostgreSQL offered on a best-effort basis. Developer API documentation and end-user documentation are published on separate project websites.

Key features

  • 01Photo posting and sharing aimed at both casual snapshots and creative work
  • 02Federation with other fediverse servers through ActivityPub
  • 03Self-hostable with Docker Compose or a non-Docker setup
  • 04Developer API documentation available for building clients and integrations
  • 05Supports MySQL 8+ and MariaDB 11+ as officially supported databases

Use cases

  • Running a private or community photo sharing server for a group of friends or a club
  • Hosting a photography community that stays connected to the wider fediverse
  • Building a third-party client or integration using the published API

Quick start

  1. 1

    Read the official documentation for setup instructions

  2. 2

    Run an instance with Docker compose, the method the README recommends

Things to know

  • Self-hosting requires setting up PHP and a database server, which takes real effort.
  • PostgreSQL is only best-effort supported and not recommended; MySQL 8+ or MariaDB 11+ are the officially supported options.
  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative network services to share their source code.

In collections

Self-hosted apps

Topics

#photo-sharing#activitypub#fediverse#laravel#php#self-hosted#social-network#federation#pixelfed

FAQ

What is pixelfed?
Pixelfed is an open-source, ad-free photo sharing platform that federates with the fediverse via ActivityPub. Pixelfed is a photo sharing social network built with PHP and the Laravel framework. Users post casual snapshots or creative photography, and content is discovered through a chronological-style feed rather than an algorithmic ranking, according to its positioning as a platform without algorithmic barriers.
Is pixelfed free to use? What license does it have?
pixelfed is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is pixelfed still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to pixelfed was on Oct 23, 2026.
What can I use pixelfed for?
Running a private or community photo sharing server for a group of friends or a club Hosting a photography community that stays connected to the wider fediverse Building a third-party client or integration using the published API
How do I install pixelfed?
Read the official documentation for setup instructions Run an instance with Docker compose, the method the README recommends
Where can I get pixelfed?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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