# Pixelfed Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/pixelfed/ 15 people recommended Pixelfed in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and 8 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 12 months, in 17 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Free, open-source, federated photo-sharing app that people recommend as a non-algorithmic alternative to Instagram. Common caveat: the app feels under-maintained and rough. Summary written by Claude from 26 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 24 of those comments still count. ## Why people recommend it - Open source with no profit motive (3 comments in the sample): "Most have fediverse open source solutions available (mastodon/lemmy/pixelfed/loops.video & peertube" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46673732)) "It's still pretty small and has no profit motive." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49649899)) "For something truly open, there's Pixelfed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906188)) - Decentralized alternative to corporate platforms (3 comments in the sample): "Relying on a foreign, for-profit megacorp is a bad way to keep contact with friends." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48355300)) "However, you go to Mastodon, Pixelfed, or Lemmy and things are dramatically better." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48452461)) "for a decentralized fediverse option" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47112857)) - Non-algorithmic feed, less time spent (2 comments in the sample): "since I switched to Pixelfed and Mastodon, I've found that I just don't spend as much time on social media as I used to" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48109283)) "you’ll find good stuff there, but you won’t engage with it as much because it’s not algo driven" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49591100)) - Used alongside Mastodon and Lemmy (1 comment in the sample): "I use Mastodon, Pixelfed, and Lemmy every single day." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48898111)) ## What people warn about - Feels under-maintained and rough (2 comments in the sample): "Pixelfed is the one product he might should focus on, jet it feels like the platform is in maintenance only mode." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47119237)) "Even some more established and widely recognized projects like Pixelfed feel quite rough in comparison" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48233743)) - Feed shows only posts with images (2 comments in the sample): "The app is not showing posts that don't contain a picture" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46409876)) "Pixelfed only showing people posts with images" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49699257)) - No notices and no account linking (2 comments in the sample): "Pixelfed is not letting the user know there is even a message." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46408313)) "I can't link my Pixelfed account to my Mastodon account." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49955745)) - No way to export or back up photos (1 comment in the sample): "the dude managed to build a photo blogging service with no way to export or back up your photos" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47120445)) ## Other social networks people recommend - [Mastodon](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mastodon/): 201 recommend, 56 mixed, 202 criticize - [Bluesky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bluesky/): 180 recommend, 103 mixed, 347 criticize - [X (formerly Twitter)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/x/): 119 recommend, 102 mixed, 920 criticize - [Instagram](https://hackerapproved.com/p/instagram/): 79 recommend, 111 mixed, 666 criticize ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Pixelfed", https://hackerapproved.com/p/pixelfed/ (15 recommend, 2 mixed, 8 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 3 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.