====== Independent Platforms ======

Independent platforms are small, user-funded social sites run by individuals or tiny teams rather than venture-backed companies. They are the alternatives that exist after [[indieweb:deleting_corporate_social_media|deleting corporate social media]]: no advertising model, no algorithmic feed, usually genAI-free by policy. The honest caveat: small platforms can be short-lived and lightly moderated, so they ask for trust and often money.

Adapted from [[https://brennan.day/five-interesting-indie-platforms-you-might-not-have-heard-of/|Five Interesting Indie Platforms You Might Not Have Heard Of]] on brennan.day.

===== Platforms =====

  * **[[https://special.fish|Special Fish]]:** a brutally designed journal-like community built by a [[https://bellkiosk.website/|solo working artist]] in St. Johns, Oregon. User-funded (suggested $40/year, pay-what-you-can), 18+ only, explicit "could shut down at any point" terms. The [[https://special.fish/garden|Garden]] holds user pages, the [[https://special.fish/bulletin|bulletin]] posts open calls and events, and a Sunday-morning [[https://special.fish/writing-room|writing room]] runs collaboratively.
  * **[[https://ctrlshift3.com|Ctrl + Shift + 3]]:** no likes, follows, or vanity counts. A single chronological [[https://ctrlshift3.com|Feed]], invite-only groups ("Clicks"), flat comments, posts that can be text, timed polls, or a 40x40 pixel-art grid. Experimental [[https://ctrlshift3.com/direct-connect|Direct Connect]] offers ephemeral browser-to-browser WebRTC chat.
  * **[[https://web1.0hosting.net/|web1.0 Hosting]]:** free static hosting in Helsinki built for old computers and phones. Sites work HTTP-only, IP-only (no DNS needed), and through a WAP gateway for old mobiles. 100 MB free on ''w10.site'' and other domains, 500 MB for community members, plus a no-code builder (HamsterCMS), webmail, forum, and the [[https://z00m.ws|z00m.ws]] search engine for old-web sites. Sites are mirrored onto [[https://yggdrasil-network.github.io/|Yggdrasil]].
  * **[[https://pillowfort.social|Pillowfort]]:** a fandom-oriented Tumblr alternative in open beta since 2017, founded by Julia Baritz. Independently and user-funded, no venture capital; join with a one-time $5 fee or the free waitlist. Explicit anti-AI policy, per-post visibility controls, threaded comments, mutual blocking.

===== Adjacent Communities =====

Not platforms but worth listing: [[https://tildeverse.org|the tildeverse]] (see [[tilde:tildeverse|The Tildeverse]]), the [[https://discourse.32bit.cafe/|32-bit Cafe]] and [[https://forum.melonland.net/|Melonland]] forums, and IndieWeb [[https://indieweb.org/Homebrew_Website_Club|Homebrew Website Club]] meetups.

===== See Also =====

  * [[indieweb:start|IndieWeb]]
  * [[indieweb:deleting_corporate_social_media|Deleting Corporate Social Media]]
  * [[indieweb:neighbourhood|Being a Good Neighbour]]
  * [[indieweb:directories|Directories & Blogrolls]]
  * [[indieweb:omg_lol|omg.lol]]
  * [[indieweb:supporting_indie_creators|Supporting Independent Creators]]
  * [[tilde:tildeverse|The Tildeverse]]
  * [[protocols:gemini:start|Gemini]]
  * [[start|Return to wiki home]]