This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2021) |
A social networking service is an online platform that people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.
This is a list of notable active social network services, excluding online dating services, that have Wikipedia articles. For defunct social networking websites, see List of defunct social networking services.
Name | Type | Focus |
---|---|---|
23snaps | Parents save photos, videos, measurements and stories of their children | |
4chan | Imageboard | Anime, manga, video games, music, literature, fitness, politics, and sports |
8tracks.com | Streaming user-curated playlists | |
Academia.edu | Academics/researchers | |
About.me | Promote individuals | |
alimero | Blog | |
Amikumu | Language learners | |
aNobii | Books | |
Anphabe.com | Employment website | |
Are.na | Social network and creative research platform | |
Ask.fm | ||
aSmallWorld | European jet set and social elite worldwide | |
Athlinks | Running, swimming | |
Band | Group communication, South Korea | |
beBee | Personal brands | |
BeReal | Photo-sharing app | |
Biip.no | Norwegian community | |
BitClout | Microblogging, cryptocurrency [1] [2] | |
BlackPlanet | Black Americans | |
Blind | Employees | |
Blogger | Blog | |
Bluesky | Microblogging, decentralized alternative to Twitter | |
Brainly | ||
Busuu | Language learning community | |
Buzznet | Music and pop-culture | |
CafeMom | Mothers | |
Care2 | Green movement | |
CaringBridge | Connections after a serious health event. | |
Cellufun | Mobile Social-network game | |
Chess.com | Chess players | |
Classmates.com | Alumni | |
Cloob | Popular in Iran | |
Cohost | Blogging, micro-blogging, photos [3] | |
CouchSurfing | Homestays and hospitality | |
CozyCot | East Asian and Southeast Asian women | |
CrossFit | Fitness goals | |
Crunchyroll | Anime fans | |
Cucumbertown | Chefs | |
Cyworld | Popular in South Korea. | |
DailyStrength | Medical & emotional support community | |
Dayviews | Sweden | |
Dead Runners Society | Running | |
DeviantArt | Art community | |
Diaspora* | Distributed social network | |
Discord | Live chat and voice for groups | |
Draugiem.lv | Popular in Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary) | |
douban | Chinese movies, books, and music | |
Doximity | U.S. medical doctors | |
Dreamwidth | Blogging | |
Dulwich OnView | Blog | Dulwich |
Duolingo | Language learning community and forums | |
DXY.cn | Chinese health care professionals | |
Ello | Creative field | |
Elixio | Business executives jet set and global elite | |
English, baby! | Students and teachers of English as a second language | |
eToro | Social investing, finance | |
Experts Exchange | IT professionals | |
Blog | Photos, videos, blogs, apps | |
Faces | Women in digital media | |
Fark | Comment on news stories | |
Fieldoo | Soccer players | |
Fetlife | BDSM | |
FictionCity | Artists | |
Fillos de Galicia | Galicia | |
FilmAffinity | Movies and TV series | |
Filmow | Movies and TV series | |
Fishbrain | Fishing | |
Fitocracy | Fitness | |
Flickchart | Movie ranking | |
Flixster | Movies | |
Flickr | Photo sharing, commenting, photography related networking | |
Frank | Political commentary | |
Fotki | Photo and video sharing | |
Foursquare City Guide | Location-based mobile social network | |
Foursquare Swarm | Location-based mobile social network | |
Friendica | Distributed social network | |
Fyuse | Photography, 3D images | |
Gab | Right-wing politics | |
Gaia Online | Anime and games | |
Gapo | Vietnam | |
GameFAQs | FAQ | Video games |
GameTZ.com | Trading items | |
Gapyear.com | Travel | |
Gays.com | LGBT | |
Gaysir | Gays and bisexuals in Norway | |
Geni.com | Families, genealogy | |
Gettr | Free speech [4] | |
GitHub | social coding | software development |
Goodreads | Library cataloging, book lovers | |
GovLoop | Government employees | |
Grindr | Gay and bisexual men | |
Habbo | Teenagers | |
hi5 | Video games | |
HR.com | Human resources professionals | |
Hub Culture | Ven digital currency | |
I Had Cancer | Cancer survivors | |
Ibibo | Talent promotion | |
ICQ | Instant messaging | |
Identi.ca | Hackers and software freedom advocates | |
IMVU | Virtual world | |
iNaturalist | ||
İnci Sözlük | Turkey | |
Indaba Music | Musicians, remix contests, and networking | |
Influenster | Product sampling and reviews | |
Inspire | Healthcare professionals | |
Photo and video sharing | ||
IRC-Galleria | Finland | |
italki | Language learning | |
JamiiForums | Tanzania | |
Jappy | Germany | |
Kaixin001 | Mainland China users | |
KakaoStory | Pages, South Korea | |
Kiwibox | Teenagers | |
KizlarSoruyor | Question-based | |
Kobo | Reading platform and social network | |
Koo | Micro-blogging | |
Koofers | Academic | Social studying network for college students |
Kroogi | Artists | |
Labroots | Science and medicine | |
LambdaMOO | MOO | |
Laneros | Hispanic countries, gamers | |
Last.fm | Music | |
Letterboxd | Film | |
LibraryThing | Book lovers | |
Likee | Videos | |
LimeWire | Peer-to-peer file sharing | |
LinguaLeo | Online English language learning website. Popular among the Russian-speaking diaspora. | |
Business and professional networking | ||
Listography | List-sharing | |
LiveJournal | Blog | Blogging |
Lunchclub | Social meetings | |
Marco Polo | ||
Mastodon | Micro-blogging, decentralized alternative to Twitter | |
MEETin | Social meetings | |
Meetup | Offline meetings | |
MeWe | Likes and emojis | |
Miaopai | ||
Micro.blog | Microblogging | |
MocoSpace | Mobile social network | |
Minds | Distributed social network with Ethereum tokens | |
Fitocracy | Bulletin board system | China |
mixi | Japan | |
MocoSpace | Mobile community | |
Moodle | ||
MouthShut.com | India | |
Mubi | Auteur cinema | |
MyHeritage | Family | |
MyLife | Locating friends and family, keeping in touch | |
Myspace | Blog | Young people |
My World@Mail.Ru | ||
Nearby | People nearby | |
Newgrounds | Gaming, filming, audio and artwork composition | |
NK.pl | School, college and friends in Poland | |
Nexopia | Canada | |
Nextdoor | ||
Ning | Create social networks | |
Odnoklassniki | Connect with former classmates in Russia | |
Open Diary | Blog | |
Parler | Free speech and privacy | |
PatientsLikeMe | Patients with life-changing illnesses | |
Partyflock | Electronic dance music | |
Peach | Mobile | |
PEERtrainer | Weight loss | |
Periscope | ||
Pinboard for organizing and sharing things you love | ||
Pixnet | Taiwan | |
Play.fm | Disc jockeys | |
Plaxo | Aggregator | |
Playlist.com | Music | |
Plurk | Micro-blogging, RSS in Taiwan | |
Portfolium | Student employment search | |
Postcrossing | Send and receive postcards | |
Quora | Questions and answers | |
Qzone | In Simplified Chinese; caters for mainland China users | |
RallyPoint | Military veterans | |
RateItAll | ||
Ravelry | Knitting and crochet | |
Readgeek | Book recommendations | |
News aggregator, social bookmarking, and Internet forums | ||
Renren | China | |
ResearchGate | ||
ReverbNation.com | Musicians and bands | |
Rooster Teeth | Social network and community site | |
Ryze | Business | |
Second Life | Virtual world | |
Sharesome | Pornography | |
Sina Weibo | Microblogging in mainland China | |
Skoob | Brazilian readers | |
Snapchat | ||
Snow | Image messaging | |
Solaborate | ||
Something Awful | Comedy | Blog |
SoundCloud | Repository of original music pieces | |
Soup.io | Microblogging | |
Spacehey | ||
Spaces | Russian mobile phone users | |
Spot.IM | A service for webmasters to add social networking functionality to their websites | |
Spoutible | Micro-blogging | |
Stack Overflow | Question and answer knowledge market site for programmers | |
Stage 32 | Professionals in film, television and theater | |
Steam | game launcher, forums, live chat | |
Steemit | Blockchain based social networking | |
Tagged | Blog | Tagging similar photos and profiles |
TakingITGlobal | Youth focused on global issues | |
Tal Canal | Blog | Sharing content, games and news |
Taringa! | Argentina | |
TermWiki | Learning / languages / translation | |
The Sphere | Luxury network with exclusive personalized services | |
The Meta Network | Bulletin board system | |
The Student Room | Blog | Students in the United Kingdom |
The WELL | Bulletin board system | |
Thinkspot | Free speech alternative to Patreon | |
Threads | ||
TikTok | Music oriented | |
Total Recut | Video sharing and resources website for fans and creators of video remixes | |
Travellerspoint | Travel | |
Truth Social | Mastodon derivative [5] | Trump-affiliated social network |
Tuenti | Phone company in Spain with social networking service | |
Tumblr | Blog | Microblogging |
TV Tropes | Wiki | |
Micro-blogging, RSS, updates | ||
TV Time | ||
Untappd | Beer drinking | |
Vero | ||
VK | Music upload, listening and search. Popular in Russia and former Soviet republics. | |
Viadeo | Business owners, entrepreneurs and managers | |
Vingle | Photos | |
Wattpad | Readers and authors | |
Warm Showers | Homestays and hospitality while bicycle touring | |
WAYN | Travel and lifestyle | |
We Heart It | Image sharing | |
Whisper | ||
Wikipedia | Wiki | |
WikiWikiWeb | Wiki | |
Wooxie | Blog | Blogging and micro-blogging |
Woozworld | Tweens and teens | |
WordPress | Blog | |
WriteAPrisoner.com | Inmates connect with friends, family | |
WT Social | Subwikis | |
Wykop.pl | Micro-blogging | |
Business primarily in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland | ||
Yammer | Office colleagues | |
Yelp | Business review | |
Yo | Quick connections | |
YTMND | Meme-sharing | |
zoo.gr | Greeks |
A social networking service (SNS), or social networking site, is a type of online social media platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing and aggregation of content amongst virtual communities and networks. Common features include:
Parler is an American alt-tech social networking service associated with conservatives. Launched in August 2018, Parler marketed itself as a free speech-focused and unbiased alternative to mainstream social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Journalists described Parler as an alt-tech alternative to Twitter, with its users including those banned from mainstream social networks or who oppose their moderation policies.
Xtube was a pornographic video hosting service and social networking site based in Toronto, Ontario. It was established in 2006 and is notable for being the first adult community site to allow users to upload and share adult videos. Xtube was not a producer of pornography, instead it provided a platform for content uploaded by users. User-submitted content included pornographic videos, webcam models, pornographic photographs, and erotic literature, and incorporated social networking features.
Censorship of Twitter refers to Internet censorship by governments that block access to Twitter. Twitter censorship also includes governmental notice and take down requests to Twitter, which it enforces in accordance with its Terms of Service when a government or authority submits a valid removal request to Twitter indicating that specific content published on the platform is illegal in their jurisdiction.
KakaoTalk (Korean: 카카오톡), commonly referred to as KaTalk (Korean: 카톡) in South Korea, is an instant messenger and online services platform operated by Kakao Corporation. It was launched in 2010 and the app is available on mobile and desktop platforms.
WeChat or Weixin in Chinese ; lit. 'micro-message') is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018 with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.
Minds is an open-source and distributed social network. Users can earn cryptocurrency for using Minds, and tokens can be used to boost their posts or crowdfund other users. Minds has been described as more privacy-focused than mainstream social media networks.
Gab is an American alt-tech microblogging and social networking service known for its far-right userbase. Widely described as a haven for neo-Nazis, white supremacists, white nationalists, antisemites, the alt-right, supporters of Donald Trump, conservatives, right-libertarians, and believers in conspiracy theories such as QAnon, Gab has attracted users and groups who have been banned from other social media platforms and users seeking alternatives to mainstream social media platforms. Founded in 2016 and launched publicly in May 2017, Gab claims to promote free speech, individual liberty, the "free flow of information online", and Christian values. Researchers and journalists have characterized these assertions as an obfuscation of its extremist ecosystem. Antisemitism is prominent in the site's content and the company itself has engaged in antisemitic commentary. Gab CEO Andrew Torba has promoted the white genocide conspiracy theory. Gab is based in Pennsylvania.
A social bot, also described as a social AI or social algorithm, is a software agent that communicates autonomously on social media. The messages it distributes can be simple and operate in groups and various configurations with partial human control (hybrid) via algorithm. Social bots can also use artificial intelligence and machine learning to express messages in more natural human dialogue.
Mastodon is an open source, self-hosted, social networking service. Mastodon uses the ActivityPub protocol for federation which allows users to communicate between independent Mastodon instances and other ActivityPub compatible services. Mastodon has microblogging features similar to Twitter, and is generally considered to be a part of the Fediverse.
Deplatforming, also called no-platforming, is a form of Internet censorship of an individual or group by preventing them from posting on the platforms they use to share their information/ideas. This typically involves suspension, outright bans, or reducing spread.
MeWe is a global social media and social networking service. As a company based in Los Angeles, California it is also known as Sgrouples, Inc., doing business as MeWe. The site has been described as a Facebook alternative due to its focus on data privacy.
Social media was used extensively in the 2020 United States presidential election. Both incumbent president Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden's campaigns employed digital-first advertising strategies, prioritizing digital advertising over print advertising in the wake of the pandemic. Trump had previously utilized his Twitter account to reach his voters and make announcements, both during and after the 2016 election. The Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden also made use of social media networks to express his views and opinions on important events such as the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the protests following the murder of George Floyd, and the controversial appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Alt-tech is a collection of social networking services and Internet service providers popular among the alt-right, far-right, and others who espouse extremism or fringe theories, typically because they employ looser content moderation than mainstream platforms. The term "alt-tech" is a portmanteau of "alt-right" and "Big Tech". Starting around 2015, some prominent conservatives and their supporters began to use alt-tech platforms because they had been banned from other social media platforms. Alt-tech platforms describe themselves as protectors of free speech and individual liberty, which researchers and journalists have alleged may be a dog whistle for antisemitism and terrorism.
Rumble is an online video platform, web hosting, and cloud services business headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with its U.S. headquarters in Longboat Key, Florida. It was founded in 2013 by Chris Pavlovski, a Macedonian Canadian technology entrepreneur. Rumble's cloud services business hosts Truth Social, and the video platform is popular among American conservative and far-right users. Rumble has been described as "alt-tech".
LBRY is a blockchain-based file-sharing and payment network that powers decentralized platforms, primarily social networks and video platforms. In September 2020, Odysee was created, a video hosting platform created and founded by Julian Chandra, an open-source video-sharing website that uses the network, which was split into a separate company on October 1, 2021. Video platforms built on LBRY, such as Odysee, have been described as decentralized, fringe alternatives to YouTube. Odysee lightly moderates content based on community guidelines; its web site delists videos containing pornography and the promotion of violence and terrorism, although delisted videos remain available on the platform's blockchain data store.
Gettr is an alt-tech social media platform and microblogging site targeting American conservatives. It was founded by Jason Miller, a former Donald Trump aide, and was officially launched on July 4, 2021. Its user interface and feature set have been described as very similar to those of Twitter.
Truth Social is an alt-tech social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), an American media and technology company majority-owned by 45th and 47th U.S. president Donald Trump. It has been called a "Twitter clone" that competes with Parler, Gab, and Mastodon in trying to provide an alternative to Twitter and Facebook. Truth Social uses Mastodon as its backend.