Vennjoy
Free taste-based social network where films, books, games and concerts start conversations and plans
Quick Overview
| Company | Vennjoy (publisher shown in the legal notice, registry code 14717109, which the Estonian e-Business Register lists as Xolo Go OÜ) |
|---|---|
| Category | Social Media |
| Headquarters | Tartu, Estonia |
| EU Presence | EU (Estonia) |
| Data Location | Hosted by IONOS (region not stated on the vendor pages) |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | Registration and the social features are free. The terms state that paid Vennjoy subscriptions are not currently enabled. Purchases and bookings made through external partners (for example Viator or Apple Books) are paid to those partners and may earn Vennjoy an affiliate commission. |
| Free Option | Free to join, no trial needed |
| Replaces | Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads |
Detailed Review
Vennjoy is a small European social network built around taste rather than around status updates. You choose a handle, build a personal collection of films, series, books, video games, artists, activities and concerts, and publish only what you decide to share. The feed, public comments and private messages sit on top of that catalogue, so a conversation usually starts with a thing you both like.
Its most distinctive feature is circles: private groups where friends propose a film night, a concert or an outing, discuss it and choose a date. That is closer to a planning tool for shared interests than to a broadcast network, and it makes Vennjoy a different proposition from Mastodon, Pixelfed or Lemmy, which are open, federated and built around public posting. Profiles are unpublished until you publish them and can be private.
The caveats are honest ones. Vennjoy is a beta product that describes itself as just getting started, so the audience is small compared with every established network on this page, and it is a single closed service rather than a federated or open-source one. Its legal notice names the publisher only as Vennjoy in Tartu, Estonia, and the service earns affiliate commissions from partners such as Viator, which it discloses.
What Vennjoy does well
- Free to join, with paid subscriptions stated as not enabled
- Private circles turn shared tastes into concrete plans
- Profiles stay unpublished until you choose to publish, with a private mode
- Interface in seven languages, including Dutch, French and German
- Opt-in analytics only, no advertising trackers
Where Vennjoy falls short
- Beta service with a very small community compared with Mastodon or Lemmy
- Closed, single-operator platform, not federated or open source
- Narrow focus on culture and outings, not a general-purpose network
- Affiliate links to external sellers fund the service
Standout feature. Circles let a group move from a shared favourite to a dated plan without leaving the platform.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free to join, with paid subscriptions stated as not enabled
- Private circles turn shared tastes into concrete plans
- Profiles stay unpublished until you choose to publish, with a private mode
- Interface in seven languages, including Dutch, French and German
- Opt-in analytics only, no advertising trackers
Cons
- Beta service with a very small community compared with Mastodon or Lemmy
- Closed, single-operator platform, not federated or open source
- Narrow focus on culture and outings, not a general-purpose network
- Affiliate links to external sellers fund the service
Alternatives to Vennjoy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vennjoy?
Vennjoy is a small European social network built around taste rather than around status updates. You choose a handle, build a personal collection of films, series, books, video games, artists, activities and concerts, and publish only what you decide to share. The feed, public comments and private messages sit on top of that catalogue, so a conversation usually starts with a thing you both like.
Where is Vennjoy based?
Vennjoy operates from Tartu, Estonia, which places it under EU (Estonia).
What does Vennjoy cost?
Registration and the social features are free. The terms state that paid Vennjoy subscriptions are not currently enabled. Purchases and bookings made through external partners (for example Viator or Apple Books) are paid to those partners and may earn Vennjoy an affiliate commission.. Free to join, no trial needed.
Who is Vennjoy best for?
Sharing films, books and plans with friends. Circles let a group move from a shared favourite to a dated plan without leaving the platform.
What are the drawbacks of Vennjoy?
Beta service with a very small community compared with Mastodon or Lemmy. Closed, single-operator platform, not federated or open source. Narrow focus on culture and outings, not a general-purpose network. Affiliate links to external sellers fund the service.
Is Vennjoy a good alternative to Facebook?
Vennjoy is built as a European alternative to Facebook: Free taste-based social network where films, books, games and concerts start conversations and plans. 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 Vennjoy compare to other Social Media tools?
Vennjoy is one of several European Social Media tools we cover. It is most often compared with Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads.