The ActivityPub Penta-Champs: Five Fediverse Platforms Recommended For Friends, Family & Frenemies

Fediverse icon featuring Flipboard, Mastodon, WordPress, Threads & Minds

As 2024 comes to a close, 2025 may finally be the year that the Fediverse reshapes the social media landscape by introducing billions of people to the idea of a decentralized web.

Approximately 130 different platforms are embracing ActivityPub, which includes 125 listed on Fediverse Party, & several others not yet listed like Ghost (whose updates from @index@activitypub.ghost.org are as hilarious as they are informative).

Within this diverse group of platforms, websites & social networks, five are positioned to obtain or maintain mainstream adoption amongst the masses. For better or worse, these sites in the future will represent the Fediverse to folks unfamiliar with the concept of decentralized social networks.

Minimum height in out space amusement park.

Making The Mark (Minimum Threshold)

Although this list is highly subjective, these platforms will, I believe, appeal to everyday people based on their past success and current availability to be accessed by billions of people worldwide.

Note: This does not mean that other platforms will never obtain success or mainstream adoption (including several of my favorite platforms that are not included), but it is hard to argue against the success of these five platforms.

Minimum requirements to be listed:

Based on these five criteria, five Fediverse apps made the cut, & these apps are listed below, as well as a few suggestions on how they can improve themselves as the world enters 2025.

Mythical WordPress creature created by Grok, AI image

WordPress

Synopsis & Suggestions: Aside from a few suggestions like allowing users to follow ActivityPub handles within the WordPress app & receive pings on their main WordPress blog, I do not have any major suggestions for improving WordPress. WordPress has the potential to bring the Fediverse to billions of people, & could become the decentralized favorite among the masses.

Happy monster made of Threads with an infinity sign on it, AI image made by Grok

Threads

Synopsis & Suggestions: I thoroughly enjoy using Threads, my only major gripe is the lack of an iPad app (Android fans have a tablet app). Hopefully Threads introduces an iPad app in 2025, along with the option to pay to avoid seeing ads on their platform.

Dolphin swimming in the ocean with a t-shirt with F for Flipboard on it, AI image made with Grok

Flipboard

Synopsis & Suggestions: Flipboard is one of the most beautiful Fediverse apps available, & their app puts alternatives like Apple & Google News to shame. One useful suggestion would be the ability to manage premium news subscriptions through Flipboard, which would make it easier to stay informed with what is happening around the world as well as expose users to premium content. Also a dolphin 🐬 plushie would be nice too! 😃

Mastodon with purple sweater on while traveling through winter forest, AI image made with Grok

Mastodon

Synopsis & Suggestions: Mastodon has helped popularize the idea of a decentralized social network, & despite its size the platform punches well above its weight. There are also a plethora of hosting companies with 1-click Mastodon installs (something other ActivityPub platforms need to promote). The only major feature requests would be smart quote posting (similar to what Threads has) & the ability to post & view more than four images on a post.

Robot with yellow lightbulb on its head surrounded by protesters, AI image made with Grok

Minds

Synopsis & Suggestions: Minds is probably the most controversial platform featured here, as it is known for being a free speech zone where users can post content with little fear of being banned. My primary suggestions for Minds is to allow Minds Network users access their sites through the primary Minds app, as well as lower the cost of entry for Minds Networks (perhaps reduce the price to $10 per month but Minds takes a sizable chunk out subscription payments as a tradeoff).

People on Earth connected to each other via internet, AI image created in Grok

Conclusion

These five ActivityPub powered platforms alone have a potential reach of over 1.5 billion users/websites, & it would not be surprising if that number surpassed 2 billion by the end of the year.

However, in order for the Fediverse to surpass two or three billion users, ActivityPub opt-in networks like WordPress & Threads should heavily promote the Fediverse to their users, as many users are still unfamiliar with what decentralized social networking is & why they should use it.

If the number of actual ActivityPub users & websites crosses over a billion (not just potential reach but those actively on the Fediverse), we could witness other social networks joining the decentralized web revolution.

This would contribute towards the breaking down of barriers between not only websites, but cultures & regions as well.

👨🏾‍💻 by @darnell@darnellclayton.com 🔛 @darnell@darnell.day 📧 darnell@darnell.day

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