US-based service. Data subject to US jurisdiction
by X Corp
Social media platform for real-time public conversations, news, and content sharing through short-form posts.
5 privacy-focused, GDPR-compliant alternatives
Curated by Sidney van den Boogaard, Founder of BuiltInEu · Updated
Quick answer: 5 European alternatives to Twitter/X are listed, from 3 countries. 4 are open source and 2 have a free plan. Top picks: Element, Mastodon and Threema.
| # | Product | Country | Pricing | Free plan | Open source | Self-host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Element | 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Freemium | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Mastodon | 🇩🇪Germany | Free | No | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Threema | 🇨🇭Switzerland | Paid | No | No | Yes |
| 4 | Stoat | 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Freemium | No | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Wire | 🇨🇭Switzerland | Freemium | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A dash means we have not verified that attribute. Migration difficulty is shown only where the editor tested the switch.
by Element
Element is a secure and interoperable communications platform built on the Matrix open standard. It offers organisations control over their communications with features like end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, and desktop collaboration. Element supports digital sovereignty by allowing self-hosted solutions and ensuring independence from vendor-locked systems.
by Mastodon
Mastodon is a decentralized social network created in 2016 by Eugen Rochko in Jena, Germany. It operates on the ActivityPub protocol, meaning anyone can run their own server (instance) that federates with the broader network — similar to how email works. There is no central company, no ads, and no algorithmic feed. Mastodon grew to over 10 million users after Twitter's acquisition by Elon Musk, and is governed by a German non-profit (Mastodon gGmbH).
by Threema
Threema is a Swiss encrypted messenger founded in 2012 by Manuel Kasper in Pfäffikon, Switzerland. Unlike most messaging apps, Threema requires no phone number or email to register — users get a random Threema ID, enabling truly anonymous communication. All messages, calls, and files are end-to-end encrypted, and metadata is minimized by design. Threema is fully open source and has been independently audited. It's widely adopted in German-speaking countries and used by the Swiss government and military.
by Stoat
Stoat (formerly Revolt, rebranded in October 2025) is an open-source, privacy-focused messaging platform built in the UK. It provides a familiar Discord-like experience with servers, channels, voice chat, and rich media sharing — but with full GDPR compliance and EU data hosting. Stoat is fully self-hostable, giving communities and teams complete control over their data. It features fine-grained role-based permissions, end-to-end encryption, and does not require a phone number or real name to register. Ideal for privacy-conscious communities looking for a feature-rich alternative to Discord.
by Wire
Wire is a secure communication platform designed for organizations, offering end-to-end encrypted messaging, calls, and file sharing. It provides flexible deployment options including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid solutions. Wire is trusted by enterprises and governments for its security, compliance, and digital sovereignty features.
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