shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Pixelfed?

Learn more about Pixelfed, the free and open-source decentralized photo sharing social media platform - pixelfed.org

Depends. A good free pick for privacy-minded photographers and fediverse users who accept a smaller audience. Skip it if you need video, Instagram-scale reach, or vendor support.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources; no named enterprise customers found in evidence.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0 software + VPS costs

Self-hosted

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
pixelfed.socialFree
Managed (Elest.io / AWS)Paid plans

Best for

  • Privacy-minded photographers
  • Existing fediverse/Mastodon users
  • Self-hosters wanting ad-free photo sharing
  • People leaving Instagram over tracking

Not for

  • Video creators — Pixelfed does not support video
  • Anyone needing Instagram-scale audience or discovery
  • Teams wanting vendor support, SLAs, or uptime guarantees
  • Non-technical users unwilling to pick a server or self-host

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Patch fast: 2024 CVE scored 9.9/10; later auth-bypass, missing-auth, and SSRF CVEs disclosed.

medium

Free software isn't free hosting: managed plans cost extra; self-hosting means VPS, updates, backups.

medium

No revenue or VC funding; uptime and support depend on volunteers and donors.

medium

Feature set and moderation vary by server admin; moving servers later is fediverse-typical pain.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open-source; no ads, no data tracking
  • Official iOS and Android apps with praised UI speed
  • Instagram import tool exists
  • Federated on ActivityPub; join or run any server
  • Reviewers call it one of the better fediverse apps

Cons

  • No video support at all
  • Recurring CVEs including auth bypass and SSRF
  • Self-hosting raises network load and DoS concerns
  • Long-term sustainability questioned by users
  • Reliability complaints: reported down more than alternatives

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 8 sources - Several CVEs disclosed (auth bypass, missing authentication, SSRF); admins must patch promptly.

official x2review x3security x2news x1
  • CVE-2026-86178: Story API authentication bypass, Auth bypass in StoryComposeController.
  • CVE-2026-93960: Missing authentication, Medium-severity missing-authentication vulnerability.
  • CVE-2026-71246: SSRF in SearchController, Server-side request forgery vulnerability.
  • 2024 9.9/10 CVE, Admins urged to update after Trust & Safety-reported vulnerability.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0 software + VPS costs

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free, open-source, no ads or tracking
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Polished iOS/Android apps; self-hosting needs VPS skills
  • Feature depth: 2/5. No video support; missing Instagram features
  • Support quality: 2/5. Donation-funded project, community-only support
  • Security posture: 2/5. Multiple CVEs: auth bypass, SSRF, missing authentication
  • $0 Price Open-source software
  • 2018 Founded Per comparison listings
  • None raised VC funding Sponsor and crowdfund backed
  • 9.9/10 Top CVE score 2024 auth flaw, admins urged to update

Pricing

Self-hosted

$0 software + VPS costs

  • Full control, 8-step install on Ubuntu VPS
  • You handle security patches

pixelfed.social

Free

  • Official public instance
  • No vendor support

Managed (Elest.io / AWS)

Paid plans

  • Fully managed deployment
  • Hosting fees apply

Security

Several CVEs disclosed (auth bypass, missing authentication, SSRF); admins must patch promptly.

  • CVE-2026-86178: Story API authentication bypassAuth bypass in StoryComposeController.
  • CVE-2026-93960: Missing authenticationMedium-severity missing-authentication vulnerability.
  • CVE-2026-71246: SSRF in SearchControllerServer-side request forgery vulnerability.
  • 2024 9.9/10 CVEAdmins urged to update after Trust & Safety-reported vulnerability.⁶

What users say

Users like the ad-free experience and UI speed but flag missing video, reliability, and sustainability worries.

“Pixelfed does not support video.”
Apple App Store review
“I've signed up for Pixelfed. It's nice enough.”
Hacker News
“Pixelfed is down more than Flashes”
Reddit, r/photography
Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources; no named enterprise customers found in evidence.

Free, ad-free Instagram alternative for the fediverse. Great for privacy; weak on video, reach, support.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources; no named enterprise customers found in evidence.

Sources

  1. Pixelfed official sitepixelfed.org
    official
  2. Pixelfed App Store reviewsapps.apple.com
    review
  3. Reddit: Thoughts on Pixelfed's Sustainabilityreddit.com
    review
  4. Reddit: Left Instagram for ethical reasonsreddit.com
    review
  5. CVE-2026-86178: Pixelfed Authentication Bypasssentinelone.com
    security
  6. Pixelfed 9.9/10 CVE disclosurewedistribute.org
    security
  7. Tracxn company profiletracxn.com
    news
  8. Elest.io managed hosting planselest.io
    official

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