Wheel a Facebook-like app? While it may seem like a daunting task, rest assured that you are not alone. Either due to hidden terms and conditions, data protection issues, or platform rules and regulations.
The reasons for finding an alternative to Facebook are common and more and more users are trying to avoid the giant Californian of social media. The market for similar networks is huge.
Diaspora
►Lee: How to Create a Facebook Shop◄
The platform Diaspora is an online social world that puts your data in your hands, according to its own slogan. Its range of functions is similar to that of Facebook.
Users can post status updates, share posts and pictures, and comment on other people's posts.
And just like on Facebook, you can also control who can see your posts.
The diaspora uses the hashtag to sort posts, which means you can use it to find like-minded people who share your interests.
It is also possible to connect Diaspora to your Facebook profile and the software has its own chat function.
Diaspora is also an open source project. One of the main characteristics that the Diaspora is proud of is its decentralization.
This has to do with its technical background: the platform is made up of many different networks, known as pod.
User data is not collected and stored centrally by the provider, but the infrastructure is distributed by the users themselves, with the data carried by these so-called pods.
If you have good technical knowledge, you can actually use your own pod, which essentially functions as a server.
This means you can rest assured that your private data stays private and in your hands. Less technically gifted users can instead use the « pod aperti» on the network.
With about 50.000 new users joining in the last 6 months, Diaspora is definitely just a small drop in the bucket compared to Facebook.
But its decentralized system and the control over your own data that comes with it make Diaspora a definite choice for users concerned about data protection. Finally, Diaspora is completely ad-free.
Benefits
- Safe alternative to Facebook
- Full control over private data
- decentralized system
disadvantages
- Relatively few active users
- Previous knowledge of programming is required
Esso
Since its foundation in 2012, the operators of Ello they took on a difficult task: they want to establish Ello as the leading ad-free alternative to Facebook and other social platforms.
This means that they will avoid personalized advertising at all costs. With Ello, there is absolutely no forwarding of user data for advertising purposes and this is not about to change.
The platform is funded by a model freemium which provides for the exchange of individual features for small payments.
There is no official data on the number of users currently on the Ello network, but various sources range from 1,5 to 4 million registered users, although the number of active users is assumed to be relatively low.
When it comes to looking for additional sources of income to finance the project, the creators of Ello are quite creative: they plan to start generating revenue through user transactions made on their network, for example by charging a commission for the sale of CDs .
One of Ello's principles is that its users are not forced to use their real names, which was previously the case on Facebook and has caused outrage.
In the beginning, Ello was a closed network, accessible only by invitation from a registered user. It has since been relaxed and is now available to all interested parties.
Site critics claim that Ello cannot be considered a real one alternative to Facebook because it lacks many of the basic features needed to compete.
For example, private communication between users via a chat function is currently not possible. Instead, Ello focuses on high-quality content for everyone to see, making it a great environment for artists and photographers.
Users with a creative background are often drawn to Ello's clean, minimalist design, which leaves plenty of room for user posts to shine.
Benefits
- No advertising of user data
- Use of your real name is not required
disadvantages
- limited scope
- Currently only rudimentary functions
Em eye
The startup's photo app Berlin EyeEm is a less direct alternative to Facebook.
But its clear focus on images makes it an ultimate alternative to Facebook-owned Instagram and other visual-heavy networks. The Photos app is available for Android and can also be accessed through your browser.
According to company sources, the application currently has approx 22 million users (data correct as of April 2017). The platform is growing, garnering huge investments and regularly expanding its functions and features.
Its basic idea is the same as Instagram: EyeEm is a platform created to share photos.
Snapshots and professional images can be uploaded and then shared with the community on EyeEm and other related networks, with a range of different filters and editing tools to add that extra star quality.
A specific feature of EyeEm's business model is that users can volunteer their photos on the company's marketplace.
EyeEm sells these licensed stock images to Getty Images and other buyers. Users then receive a portion of the generated revenue.
This means that EyeEm is not only a platform for viewing images, but you can also earn money from them.
And it's not just an incentive for the user to publish photographic content of the highest possible quality: the social network itself requires it to finance its business through advertising.
As a startup from Berlin, EyeEm has to follow German data protection laws, which are stricter than those in the US.
And the easy presentation of data protection information on the web has also received praise: users have access to all terms and conditions of data uploaded to the website and how they will or will not be used, but they also get a simple and understandable summary on this.
Benefits
- Good alternative to large image networks
- A potentially profitable business model for users
- explanation of data protection for the customer
- Complies with stricter data protection laws than the United States
disadvantages
- Less reach than Instagram
- Images cannot be shared privately
true
An interesting alternative to Facebook, which launched in 2015, but has only recently seen a huge influx of new users, is the social network Vero.
In early March 2018, for example, the CEO Ayman Harari, worth billions of euros, announced an increase of more than three million users after that True it had previously been a relatively niche app with approx 200.000 active members.
Not only have effective influencer campaigns played an important role, the current free lifetime membership offer has also convinced the users.
The app, available for iOS e Android, may only be available in the future with a paid annual subscription. However, the offer was initially extended until further notice.
The annual fee, however, is intended to help the developing company, Vero Labs, as its main source of income.
The idea is that the platform remains ad-free in the long term and does not share any user information for profit.
In addition, the company wants to generate revenue through the transaction fees that merchants have to pay when selling products through Vero and by implementing the « buy now«.
Although Vero resembles competitors such as Facebook and Instagram in many respects (profile, structure, calendar, feed), the platform offers some interesting and unique strengths: the posts in the timeline are not pre-filtered by an algorithm, but appear in chronological order .
Contacts can also be divided into four categories: « followers"," acquaintances"," friends" is " close friends«.
These groups can be selected or deselected as a target group when a message is posted, so that only the intended audience is notified.
To create and verify a Vero account, you need to enter a private phone number.
Benefits
- Unfiltered history, sorted chronologically
- Without ads
disadvantages
- A private phone number is required
- In the future, the rate will be based on commissions…
The best alternatives to Facebook: an overview
Facebook has been and continues to be the undisputed king of the social media market.
Of course, in some regions of the world, such as the Russia or the China, there is a level playing field with the success of popular Facebook alternatives that have the same market share.
But for the most part, Facebook is the world leader when it comes to online social interaction.
If you are using the platform, you have no choice but to accept the privacy and data protection related network settings and live with them.
If you don't want to, then you'll need to find a good conservative alternative to Facebook – and get all your friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances to join you, or else be prepared for your online circle of friends to be greatly reduced (at least for start).
►You May Also Like: Change a Facebook Page Name: Business & Personal!◄
Conclusion
These Facebook-like apps are great alternatives, each has its own advantages and disadvantages that you should take into consideration. We hope you enjoy our article if you think something was missing, leave your comment.
