Awesome Decentralized Web [](https://awesome.re)

September 1, 2026 · View on GitHub

A curated list of peer-to-peer, federated, and local-first protocols, applications, and developer tools. Thanks to the Decentralized Web Summit for the inspiration.

Scope. This list is about the decentralized web: peer-to-peer protocols, federated applications, and distributed data — projects where decentralization is the core design, not a feature or a marketing claim.

Out of scope:

Cryptocurrencies, blockchains, tokens, NFTs, DAOs, DeFi and other finance-related projects. (Merely using an existing blockchain as a neutral public record, with no token of its own, can qualify, see the contributing guide below.)
AI tools, agent frameworks, and "decentralized AI" platforms.
Commercial products without significant open-source or decentralized relevance.

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting a project.

Entries marked Dormant still work but their source repository has had no activity for over 2 years — the tag states the measured date. Dead projects live in the Graveyard section at the bottom.

A quick taxonomy — four words that often get mixed up:

Federated — many independently operated servers interoperating through a shared protocol; you choose which server to trust instead of trusting a central one. (Mastodon, Matrix, XMPP)
Peer-to-peer — participants exchange data directly, with no single authoritative application server; trackers, bootstrap nodes or relays may assist. (BitTorrent, Scuttlebutt, Tox)
Distributed — only means data or computation is spread across many machines; centralized services can be distributed too. A distributed system is decentralized only when no single party controls it.
Local-first — the authoritative copy of your data lives on your own device, and the network is optional: sync happens when connectivity allows. (software built with Automerge, Yjs or Willow)

Protocols and Technologies
Applications
Graveyard
Other Related Lists
Contributors

Protocols and Technologies

Protocols, stacks and building blocks for a decentralized web.

ActivityPub - Open, decentralized social networking protocol based on Pump.io's ActivityPump protocol.
AT Protocol - The Authenticated Transfer Protocol, an open protocol for decentralized social networking, powering Bluesky.
ForgeFed - A decentralized federation protocol provides a server to server API for pull request, forking and subscription.
Matrix - An open standard for decentralised persistent communication over IP. Matrix wants to connect together all the various communication services and make them interoperate.
Nostr - A simple, open protocol that enables censorship-resistant, global social networking.
Scuttlebutt - A decent(ralised), offline-friendly secure gossip protocol.
XMPP - The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, an open IETF standard for federated messaging with thousands of independently operated servers.

P2P Networking & Data Transfer

BitTorrent - Protocol for distributed file sharing.
cjdns - Encrypted IPv6 overlay network with distributed hash table routing.
GNUnet - A network protocol stack for building secure, distributed, and privacy-preserving applications, with strong roots in academic research.
Hypercore Protocol - A fast, scalable, and secure peer-to-peer protocol for everyone (evolution of the Dat Protocol), now maintained by Holepunch as part of the Pear runtime.
IPFS - The InterPlanetary File System, a content-addressed, peer-to-peer protocol for storing and sharing data.
IPLD - A content-addressed linked-data model underlying IPFS and related systems.
Iroh - A toolkit for direct peer-to-peer connectivity: QUIC hole-punching, content-addressed blobs and document sync.
libp2p - A modular peer-to-peer networking stack, the connectivity layer used by IPFS and many other decentralized projects.
Named Data Networking - A content-centric Internet architecture with active research implementations such as NFD.
WebRTC - W3C drafted standard for browser-to-browser data transfer.
Yggdrasil - An end-to-end encrypted IPv6 overlay network that scales without central coordination.

Application Frameworks

Fedify - A TypeScript framework for building federated server applications on ActivityPub.
Freenet - A decentralized, real-time platform for building and running applications entirely on a peer-to-peer network; a ground-up rewrite by the original Freenet founder (the classic Freenet lives on as Hyphanet).
Holochain - A peer-to-peer protocol for data sharing and integrity, backed by authoritative hashchains for data provenance.
Pear - A peer-to-peer application runtime and deployment system built on Hypercore, by Holepunch.
Spritely - Distributed object-capability framework (Goblins, OCapN) for building the decentralized social web.
Veilid - An open-source, peer-to-peer, mobile-first networked application framework with strong privacy, by Cult of the Dead Cow.
WebXDC - A specification for portable web apps that run inside chat messages and sync over any transport, with no server of their own.

Local-first & CRDTs

Automerge - A CRDT library for building local-first, collaborative applications that sync without a central server.
Earthstar - An offline-first, distributed, syncable, embedded document database for use in peer-to-peer software.
m-ld - Library enabling consistent, zero latency read and write of shared information, using RDF (JSON-LD) and CRDTs. Dormant (no repository activity since 2024-08)
p2panda - A collection of building blocks for local-first, peer-to-peer applications.
Willow - A protocol for synchronisable, multi-writer data stores, by the authors of Earthstar.
Yjs - A high-performance CRDT for building collaborative, offline-first applications.

Mesh & Off-grid Networking

LibreMesh - A modular framework for creating OpenWrt/LEDE-based firmwares for wireless mesh nodes.
Meshtastic - Open-source, off-grid mesh communication over inexpensive LoRa radios.
Reticulum - Cryptography-based networking stack for building resilient networks over almost any medium: LoRa, packet radio, WiFi or TCP/IP.

Identity & Personal Data

Decentralized Identifiers - W3C standard for globally unique, cryptographically verifiable identifiers that need no central registry.
Decentralized Web Nodes - A mesh-like datastore construction that supports sync, built in permissions, and dynamic interactions between other nodes.
Encrypted Data Vaults - A privacy-respecting mechanism for storing, indexing, and retrieving encrypted data at a storage provider.
remoteStorage - An open protocol for decoupling data from apps.
Solid - A proposed set of conventions and tools for building decentralized social applications based on Linked Data principles.

Applications

Things built with decentralized protocols and technologies.

Akkoma - Actively developed fork of Pleroma, a lightweight federated social networking server on ActivityPub.
Bluesky - Decentralized social network built on the AT Protocol, with self-hostable personal data servers.
Bonfire - Modular open-source framework and application for building federated digital spaces.
BookWyrm - Federated social reading and book reviews, on ActivityPub.
diaspora* - Decentralized and federated social media platform.
Friendica - Decentralized and federated social media platform.
GoToSocial - Lightweight ActivityPub social network server.
Hubzilla - Decentralized and federated social media platform.
Lemmy - Federated link aggregator and discussion forum, on ActivityPub.
Manyverse - An iOS and Android mobile app for the decentralized messaging and sharing app built on top of Secure Scuttlebutt. Dormant (no repository activity since 2024-08)
Mastodon - Decentralized, federated alternative to Twitter.
Mbin - Federated content aggregator and microblogging platform (community fork of /kbin), on ActivityPub.
Misskey - Feature-rich federated microblogging platform on ActivityPub (Sharkey is an actively developed fork).
Mobilizon - A federated tool that helps you find, create and organise events.
PieFed - Federated link aggregator and discussion forum with a focus on moderation tooling, on ActivityPub.
Pixelfed - Federated photo sharing, on ActivityPub.
Pleroma - A federated social networking platform.
Socialhome - Decentralized and federated profile builder with social networking features.

Media Streaming & Publishing

Castopod - Self-hosted podcast hosting with ActivityPub federation.
Funkwhale - A community-driven project that lets you listen and share music and audio within a decentralized, open network.
Mediagoblin - A free software media publishing platform alternative to Flickr, YouTube, SoundCloud.
Owncast - Self-hosted live video streaming with ActivityPub federation.
PeerTube - Decentralized federated video streaming platform using P2P, ActivityPub and WebTorrent.
WriteFreely - Minimalist federated blogging platform, on ActivityPub.

P2P Messaging

Berty - Anonymous, secure, peer-to-peer protocol that doesn't need an internet connection to function.
BitMessage - Anonymous encrypted message broadcasting over a peer-to-peer network.
Briar - Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, built for activists and journalists.
Cwtch - Metadata-resistant, decentralized group messaging built on Tor onion services.
Delta Chat - Decentralized messenger with end-to-end encryption that works over the existing e-mail network.
Jami - Distributed peer-to-peer communication (text, voice and video), free and open-source.
Retroshare - Establish encrypted connections between you and your friends to create a network of computers, and provides various distributed services: forums, channels, chat, mail.
Ricochet Refresh - New updated version of Ricochet.
SimpleX Chat - Private messenger without any user identifiers, using decentralized relay servers.
Tox - Serverless peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol and implementations (its security model has not received a full independent audit).

Code & Collaboration

Darcs - Free and open source cross-platform distributed version control system.
Forgejo - Self-hosted software forge (Gitea fork) implementing ActivityPub-based federation via ForgeFed.
Pijul - A free and open source (GPL2) distributed version control system.
Radicle - Secure peer-to-peer code collaboration without intermediaries.

instant.io - Streaming file transfer over WebTorrent.
magic-wormhole - Get things from one computer to another, safely.
OnionShare - Hosts the selected files as a hidden service on the user's computer.
Peergos - End-to-end encrypted, peer-to-peer file storage, sharing and communication network.
Perkeep - Set of open source formats, protocols, and software for modeling, storing, searching, sharing and synchronizing data.
Syncthing - Continuous peer-to-peer file synchronization between devices, without any central server.
Tahoe-LAFS - A private, encrypted file storage system that decentralizes data across multiple servers.
Tribler - Privacy enhanced BitTorrent client with P2P content discovery.
WebTorrent - An in-browser torrenting that works without requiring users to install anything extra.

Databases

GUN - A small, easy, and fast data sync and storage system that runs everywhere JavaScript does.
OrbitDB - Peer-to-peer database engine on top of IPFS.

Anonymity & Overlay Networks

Hidden Lake - Anonymous friend-to-friend network built on queue-based messaging, designed to resist traffic analysis even by a global observer.
Hyphanet - Formerly Freenet, a network aimed at activists and people living in repressive regimes (the new Freenet is a separate rewrite by the same founder). It uses a web of trust in high security mode, which makes users on the network very difficult to detect.
I2P - Anonymous network with hidden services.
Tor - Anonymous network proxy.

Web, Search and Archiving

Agregore - A minimal web browser for the distributed web. Supports IPFS, Hypercore Protocol + more.
Cactus Comments - A federated comment system for the open web built on Matrix.
Ceno Browser - Censorship-resistant mobile browser that shares and retrieves web content through the Ouinet peer-to-peer cache.
IPWB - An interplanetary wayback machine.
yacy - Distributed Peer-to-Peer Web Search Engine and Intranet Search Appliance.

Identity & Key Management

Dark Crystal - Set of protocols, libraries, techniques and guidelines for secure management of sensitive data such as cryptographic keys.
Keyoxide - Decentralized, cryptographic identity proofs; a self-hostable Keybase alternative.
OpenTimestamps - A standard format for blockchain timestamping.

Miscellaneous

Librem - A growing bundle of ethical services by Purism.
Rotonde - Commonly agreed upon specifications of a JSON object shared between members of the network.

Graveyard

Projects that shaped the decentralized web but are no longer maintained. Kept for the historical record. Domains of dead projects are sometimes squatted or hijacked — where that happened, links point to archived copies.

AvionDB - Mongodb-like database on top of OrbitDB. Discontinued!
Backfeed - A technology to enable decentralized and user-owned governance and reputation management for a community. Discontinued!
Beaker - A peer-to-peer Web browser, made for users to run applications independently of hosts. Discontinued!
BigchainDB - A scalable database that layers blockchain technology over decentralized data. Discontinued!
Bit451 - Decentralized / distributed anonymous peer-to-peer media network. YouTube meets BitTorrent meets Bitcoin. Discontinued!
bitnation - The World's First Virtual Nation – a Blockchain Jurisdiction. Discontinued! (dead; domain now serves unrelated spam, link goes to an archived copy).
CacheP2P - A distributed caching platform. Discontinued!
Cryptosphere - An open-source P2P web application platform for decentralized, privacy-preserving software. Discontinued!
Dat Base - Future-friendly apps for your research data pipeline. Discontinued! (the Dat project wound down).
Dat Medium - A markdown blog system for Beaker inspired by Medium. Discontinued!
disaster.radio - A disaster-resilient communications network powered by the sun. Discontinued!
ferment - Peer-to-peer audio publishing and streaming application. Discontinued! (repository deleted).
git-ssb - Decentralized Git repo hosting and issue tracking on secure-scuttlebutt. Discontinued! (repository archived in 2018).
IPDB - A federated database network built on BigchainDB and IPFS. It is maintained by a network of caretakers around the world, at least half of which are nonprofits. Discontinued!
Jolocom - A decentralised digital identity for everyone. Discontinued! (dead; domain squatted, link goes to an archived copy).
LevelNews - A leftist news aggregator designed for an open web, and dedicated to journalism without censorship. Discontinued!
libdweb - A community effort to implement experimental APIs enabling dweb protocols in Firefox. Discontinued!
Mediachain - A media library built on IPFS that makes it easy to publish, track, and discover creative work. Discontinued! (acquired by Spotify in 2017).
Onename - Domain registrar for Blockstack. Discontinued!
OpenBazaar - Marketplace, with store fronts and moderators. Discontinued! (shut down in 2021).
ORC - The Onion Router Cloud, a distributed, anonymous, object storage platform owned and operated by all of us. Discontinued!
Patchwork - A decentralized messaging and sharing app built on top of Secure Scuttlebutt. Discontinued! (repository archived; successor: Manyverse).
PeerPad - A realtime P2P collaborative editing tool, powered by IPFS and CRDTs. Discontinued!
Ricochet - Completely anonymous and potentially metadata-free chat Discontinued!
Samizdat - A platform for the self-hosted, peer-to-peer, cryptographically-secured internet. Discontinued!
Shift - Decentralized hosting infrastructure for dApps. Discontinued!
StrongLink - A searchable, syncable, content-addressable notetaking system Discontinued!
Swarm - A distributed storage platform and content distribution service of the Ethereum stack. Discontinued! (repository archived).
Tahrir - Looks and feels like Twitter but encrypted and anonymized and decentralized and only you hold the keys. Discontinued!
trsst - Looks and feels like Twitter but encrypted and anonymized and decentralized and only you hold the keys. Discontinued!
Twister - A fully decentralized P2P microblogging platform leveraging the free software implementations of Bitcoin and BitTorrent protocols. Discontinued!
Webnative - JavaScript library that decouples user data from apps and hosts it on IPFS. Discontinued! (Fission shut down in 2024).
Wikipediap2p - A peer-to-peer version of Wikipedia. Discontinued!
ZeroNet - A peer-to-peer web built on the Bitcoin cryptography for addressing, and identity and Namecoin for .bit domains. Discontinued! (community fork: zeronet-conservancy).

alternative-internet - A collection of interesting new networks and technologies aiming at decentralisation.
Awesome-decentralized-id - Resources for creating a Decentralized, Vendor Agnostic, Self Sovereign Identity System for people organizations and things.
awesome-resilient-communication - A curated list of open protocols, applications, hardware, and resources for communication during internet shutdowns, disasters, censorship, and off-grid operation.
delightful-fediverse-apps - A curated list of Fediverse applications and services.

Contributors

Contributors

This list is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.