Fediverse

The fediverse (a blend of "federated" and "universe") is a network of independently run, interconnected social platforms that can communicate with each other through a shared protocol, instead of each one being its own closed, separate service.

Quick facts

• Also known as: federated social networks
• Category: Technical & platform
• Applies to: Mastodon · Threads (partial) · Pixelfed · PeerTube
• Key protocol: ActivityPub, the open standard most fediverse platforms use to communicate with each other

What is the fediverse?

On a closed platform like Instagram or LinkedIn, an account only exists within that one company's servers and can only interact with other accounts on that same platform. The fediverse works differently: it's made up of many independently operated servers ("instances"), each running compatible software, that can follow, reply to, and share posts with accounts on other servers, similar in spirit to how email lets a Gmail address message a Yahoo address because both speak the same underlying protocol. Mastodon, a Twitter-like microblogging platform, is the best-known fediverse service, but the same underlying protocol also connects photo-sharing (Pixelfed) and video-hosting (PeerTube) platforms into the same interconnected network.

How does the fediverse work?

Most fediverse platforms communicate using ActivityPub, an open protocol that standardizes how a "follow," a "post," or a "like" gets sent between independently run servers so they can understand each other regardless of which specific software each server runs. Meta enabled limited ActivityPub support for Threads starting in late 2024, letting Mastodon users follow and see public Threads posts, and has since expanded this to let Threads users follow accounts on Mastodon and other fediverse platforms directly inside Meta's own app. The integration remains partial rather than full: as of 2026, Threads does not federate replies or quote posts from its own users, only top-level posts reach the fediverse, and Threads doesn't support ActivityPub's private message or private post types, meaning only public content crosses over at all (Fediview, Threads-fediverse integration, 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Is Threads fully part of the fediverse? Only partially. Threads can send public, top-level posts to the fediverse and, more recently, let its users follow fediverse accounts, but replies, quote posts, and private content from Threads don't federate, unlike a platform such as Mastodon that participates fully.

What's the difference between the fediverse and a normal social platform? A normal platform is a single closed system controlled by one company. The fediverse is made up of many independently run servers using a shared protocol, so accounts on different servers, sometimes even run by different organizations, can still interact with each other.

Do I need to be technical to use a fediverse platform? No. Signing up for a server on a platform like Mastodon works similarly to signing up for any other social app; the technical complexity (servers, protocols) operates in the background.

Related terms: What is B2C?

By Arif Akdoğan, reviewed by Kevin O. Frank. Last updated 2026-08-07. Sources: Fediview, Threads joins the fediverse: how Instagram's Threads integrates with Mastodon, 2026