> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Lemmy: A Decentralized Open-Source Reddit Alternative To Explore - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lemmy/ - Published: 2023-06-24T03:52:43.000Z - Updated: 2023-06-24T05:01:26.000Z - Description: Are you looking for an open-source Reddit alternative? Well, this is something! - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: First Look, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15 Reddit has been facing widespread protests due to its upcoming API changes that are set to harm many third-party apps that rely on it for providing various services, especially moderation-focused ones. This has resulted in many users searching for alternative platforms, especially [decentralized, P2P and open source alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/mainstream-social-media-alternaives/) to mainstream social media platforms such as Reddit. One such platform is **Lemmy**; it advertises itself as a link aggregator and forum for the [Fediverse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse?ref=itsfoss.com). Let's see what it has to offer. 📋 I spotted Lemmy from a suggestion by one of our [community members](https://itsfoss.community/t/lemmy-instance-deployment/10764?ref=itsfoss.com). Consider [joining our forum](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) to request coverage of interesting platforms, tools, and services for others to discover. **Suggested Read** 📖 [10 Decentralized, Open Source Alternative Social Media PlatformsTired of Big Tech prying on your data and invading your privacy? Here are some open source, decentralized alternate social platforms.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/1984-quote.png)](https://itsfoss.com/mainstream-social-media-alternaives/) ## Lemmy: Overview ⭐ ![a screenshot of the lemmy banner on its homepage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_X.jpg) Lemmy is an open-source platform that uses an [AGPL license](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to distribute its code and is primarily **written in the memory-safe Rust programming language**. It's very similar to Reddit in its functioning, letting users subscribe to forums they are interested in, **upvote/downvote** posts, and participate in discussions. The unique thing about this is that it is **completely decentralized** and gets in very nicely with other instances on the Fediverse. I looked at a Lemmy instance to see how it fares against Reddit. Allow me to show you what the user experience was like. To get started, you just need a **username, email, and password** to sign up; after setting it up, you are all set to explore the platform. 📋 In some Lemmy instances, you only need a username and a password to signup! Post login, you are greeted with a nice homepage with all the latest posts that can be sorted according to your preference. It also shows you the trending communities and a brief description of the specific Lemmy instance. ![a screenshot of a lemmy instance's homepage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_1.png) When you click on a post, you will find a familiar look and feel where you can upvote/downvote the post, comment on it, and even subscribe to the community where it was posted. ![a screenshot of a post in a lemmy instance](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_2.png) Since Lemmy is a link aggregator, it can list communities across the Fediverse, letting users subscribe to them from a single platform. Very similar to what Mastodon does. Just head over to the '**Communities**' tab to do that. ![a screenshot of a lemmy instance's list of communities](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_3.png) Lemmy also allows you to create a post for publishing across your subscribed forums; it has all the usual options, like the **post's title, the body, the URL, the ability to mark it as NSFW**, and more. Access it by heading over to the '**Create Post**' tab. ![a screenshot of a lemmy instance's post creation page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_4.png) Similarly, you can create new communities by heading to the '**Create Community**' tab. It will let you set the name/display name of the community, the logo, the banner, the ability to mark it as NSFW, only allow moderator posting, and more. ![a screenshot of a lemmy instance's community creation page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Lemmy_5.png) **So, you get moderation tools + an open-source platform + a decentralized network free from a single control, and a Reddit-like experience.** Yes, it may not be a mindblowing Reddit replacement for everyone. But, I think it is worth exploring. My initial impression of Lemmy is that it is a **work-in-progress project** that should improve with time. I faced a few bugs occasionally, but those were not a deal breaker. I also like that there are [mobile apps](https://join-lemmy.org/apps?ref=itsfoss.com) for Lemmy for Android/iOS and **a native** [**Gtk client**](https://github.com/lemmy-gtk/lemoa?ref=itsfoss.com) **for Lemmy on Linux**. ![lemmy mobile apps](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/lemmy-mobile-apps.jpg) 📋 I tested Lemmy out on [lemmy.world](https://lemmy.world/?ref=itsfoss.com), a popular Lemmy instance. **Suggested Read** 📖 [12 Simple Tools to Protect Your PrivacyQuick ways to enhance online privacy? Use these simple tools to take control of your data easily.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/privacy-tools-ft.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/privacy-tools/) ## 📥 Get Lemmy You can self-host Lemmy on a server or join one of the existing instances. Just head over to the [official website](https://join-lemmy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to get started. **If you are going to self-host,** Then there are two ways of doing that: manually with Docker and an automated approach with Ansible. You can dive into the [official documentation](https://join-lemmy.org/docs/administration/administration.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to get started. [Lemmy](https://join-lemmy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)