Hubzilla
Federated open source platform for social networking, groups, files and wikis with portable identity
Quick Overview
| Company | Hubzilla Association (Swiss association under Art. 60 ff. ZGB) |
|---|---|
| Category | Social Media |
| Headquarters | Basel, Switzerland |
| Founded | 2023 |
| EU Presence | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Depends on the hub you use; self-hosting keeps data on your own server |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Pricing | The software is free and open source. You can self-host it or create an account on a public hub chosen from the public sites list. Prices of third-party hubs are set by their operators. The Hubzilla Association accepts membership and funds to support the project; no paid plan is listed on hubzilla.org. |
| Replaces | Facebook, Google Groups, Dropbox |
Detailed Review
Hubzilla is a federated community platform rather than a single social feed. One account, called a channel, can publish posts, run private groups, store files, host wikis and web pages, and share events, all governed by a detailed permission system. It is developed as an open source project, and the Hubzilla Association, a Swiss association based in Basel and founded in November 2023, supports its development, website and documentation.
Its signature idea is nomadic identity. A channel is not tied to one server, so you can clone it to another hub or move it without losing contacts or content, which removes the usual lock-in to a single operator. Hubzilla connects to the wider fediverse through ActivityPub and the Diaspora protocol, so people on Mastodon and similar networks can interact with a channel.
The honest trade-off is polish. Compared with Mastodon or Pixelfed on this page, Hubzilla has more concepts to learn, a denser interface and a far smaller audience, and quality depends on the hub operator. It suits technical users, clubs and organisations that value control, rather than people who want a quick, familiar timeline.
What Hubzilla does well
- Nomadic identity lets you move or clone a channel between hubs
- Detailed permissions for posts, files and private groups
- Combines social network, cloud storage, wikis and pages in one system
- Connects to the fediverse via ActivityPub and Diaspora
- Open source (MIT) and self-hostable, with a Swiss non-profit association behind it
Where Hubzilla falls short
- Steeper learning curve and denser interface than Mastodon
- Small user base and few active public hubs
- Experience depends heavily on the hub operator
- No commercial support or paid plan from the project
Standout feature. Nomadic identity and fine-grained permissions in one federated platform that also covers files, wikis and groups.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Nomadic identity lets you move or clone a channel between hubs
- Detailed permissions for posts, files and private groups
- Combines social network, cloud storage, wikis and pages in one system
- Connects to the fediverse via ActivityPub and Diaspora
- Open source (MIT) and self-hostable, with a Swiss non-profit association behind it
Cons
- Steeper learning curve and denser interface than Mastodon
- Small user base and few active public hubs
- Experience depends heavily on the hub operator
- No commercial support or paid plan from the project
Alternatives to Hubzilla
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hubzilla?
Hubzilla is a federated community platform rather than a single social feed. One account, called a channel, can publish posts, run private groups, store files, host wikis and web pages, and share events, all governed by a detailed permission system. It is developed as an open source project, and the Hubzilla Association, a Swiss association based in Basel and founded in November 2023, supports its development, website and documentation.
Where is Hubzilla based?
Hubzilla operates from Basel, Switzerland, which places it under Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA).
What does Hubzilla cost?
The software is free and open source. You can self-host it or create an account on a public hub chosen from the public sites list. Prices of third-party hubs are set by their operators. The Hubzilla Association accepts membership and funds to support the project; no paid plan is listed on hubzilla.org..
Who is Hubzilla best for?
Self-hosters wanting groups, files and identity portability. Nomadic identity and fine-grained permissions in one federated platform that also covers files, wikis and groups.
What are the drawbacks of Hubzilla?
Steeper learning curve and denser interface than Mastodon. Small user base and few active public hubs. Experience depends heavily on the hub operator. No commercial support or paid plan from the project.
Is Hubzilla a good alternative to Facebook?
Hubzilla is built as a European alternative to Facebook: Federated open source platform for social networking, groups, files and wikis with portable identity. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Hubzilla compare to other Social Media tools?
Hubzilla is one of several European Social Media tools we cover. It is most often compared with Facebook, Google Groups, Dropbox.