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9 self-hosted Tumblr alternatives

Tumblr is a hosted short-form blogging and microblogging platform. These open-source apps let you replace Tumblr with software you host and control yourself.

Best self-hosted Tumblr alternatives

Misskey

Social Networks

Decentralized fediverse platform with rich features

Replaces Twitter, Tumblr

★ 11.3k Hard setup AGPL-3.0

WriteFreely

Social Networks

Minimalist federated blogging platform

Replaces Medium, Tumblr

★ 5.2k Easy setup AGPL-3.0

Pleroma

Social Networks

Lightweight fediverse microblogging server

Replaces Twitter, Tumblr

★ 2.2k Medium setup AGPL-3.0

Microblog.pub

Blogging Platforms

Self-hosted single-user microblog for the fediverse

Replaces Twitter, Tumblr

★ 1.2k Medium setup AGPL-3.0

Chyrp Lite

Blogging Platforms

Lightweight, ultra-extensible blogging engine

Replaces WordPress, Tumblr

★ 492 Easy setup BSD-3-Clause

Akkoma

Social Networks

Feature-rich fediverse server forked from Pleroma

Replaces Twitter, Tumblr

★ 400 Medium setup AGPL-3.0

Socialhome

Social Networks

Federated personal social home pages

Replaces Tumblr, Facebook

★ 384 Medium setup AGPL-3.0

Wafrn

Social Networks

Tumblr-style federated social network

Replaces Tumblr, Twitter

★ 285 Medium setup AGPL-3.0

Forte

Social Networks

open source ActivityPub/fediverse server

Replaces Facebook, Threads

Easy setup Unlicense

Switching from Tumblr

Moving off Tumblr means trading a managed subscription for a service you run yourself. The payoff is ownership: no per-seat pricing, no vendor lock-in, and full control of your data. Start with the option above that matches your setup-difficulty comfort level — every app links to a detailed specs page and head-to-head comparisons.