Similar Worlds is a social networking site that lets users discover and connect with other users who have similar passions, personalities, and experiences.
Users can also read and learn from the stories of others, which is great because they can avoid some mistakes in the real world.
Similar Worlds launched in 2017, a year after Experience Project (a similar but older platform) suspended operations. As a result, Similar Worlds emerged as an ideal alternative for Experience Project users looking for a way to continue sharing their stories online.
Similar Worlds offered several features available on Experience Project, including allowing members to share their personal, first-person stories about various experiences they have had in life.
Based on these experiences and/or interests, users could form or join communities and interact with other members.
The developers wanted a more exciting experience, so they introduced other new features, like Story & Photo Reactions, that allows users to react to stories with emojis. Online Status Control gives you the power to control your online presence.
Another feature is the possibility of users earning coins. You can use coins to purchase gifts for other members, purchase outfits and accessories for your avatar character, and to access other fun new features. There is also some enhanced security upgrade to reduce sensitive content and protect users from malicious activity.
Similar Worlds offers several VIP features with a subscription, including View Profile Visitors, Invisible Mode, Remove All Advertising, etc.
To use Similar Worlds, you must sign up with your email or connect with your Google or Apple ID. It is also available on the Google Play Store and App Store.
Despite the good, some users have had not-so-great experiences with this site. Several reports have been on this site about cyberbullying, spamming, and unsolicited sexual advances toward users. Others say the moderators favor popular users and ban other users without cause.
Another significant drawback is allowing underage people to participate in a community where anonymity is encouraged. Consequently, young people can often encounter strangers at random.
Underage users are at risk because strangers can be anyone from serial killers to pedophiles. Plus, people can fake their age.
In this article, I review 15 Similar Worlds alternatives for anyone who wants to share life experiences and connect with others with the same interests, hobbies, and lifestyles. Some of these platforms have even more to offer.
Let’s get started!
Best Similar Worlds Alternatives
1. Mastodon
First up is Mastodon, a social networking platform like Similar Worlds, but with a little more.
Mastodon is a decentralized social networking service launched in 2016 by Eugen Rochko and several other developers as he thought a service of this type should not be a commercial property.
The social platform allows users to create and join different “instances” (the platform’s answer to Similar Worlds’ community) with themes based on common interests such as music, gaming, photography, etc.
Each instance (or server) has its rules; you must sign up to join. Like in Similar Worlds, you can switch between different servers to see what they offer after signing up.
Mastodon is similar to Twitter because you can add hashtags to your posts so that other users can find them easily. You can share text, links, photos, GIFS, or videos. You can like, reblog, and reply to the posts of other Mastodon users.
Other features of Mastodon include switching between light and dark mode, which can be helpful depending on the time of day and user preference, notifications for mentions and direct messages, and the ability to mute users.
The platform also has an API for developers who want to build their apps on social network sites. You can download and use the app for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.
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2. Mumblit
Don’t like the restrictions on what you can post on your social media feed? You’ll love Mumblit!
Like Similar Worlds, it is a social networking site. However, Mumblit advocates free speech. The platform encourages opinions, ideas, and commentary that counter mainstream views.
Mumblit is an ad-free social network with quick loading times. People prefer Mumblit because there are no restrictions and no censorship. Mumblit also has decent privacy (or lack of privacy) settings, and its UI is clean and intuitive.
The best way to think of this platform is like Twitter in purple. On Mumblit, users can follow, unfollow, and block other users. They can add pictures, videos, hashtags, and comments to posts.
Users can also create advertisements for their business and so much more.
It’s important to note that though the platform does not restrict content, it asks its users to follow specific rules. For instance, you cannot submit content that includes intellectual property belonging to third parties (such as copyrighted content) unless you have permission from them or are otherwise legally able to do so.
To join and use Mumblit, you must sign up with your email and choose a password. Your profile will appear on your profile page when you log in.
As I described above, Mumblit has the easy-to-use UI of Twitter but with a purple hue. You can download and use the app for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.
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3. WT.Social
Created by the co-founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, WikiTribune Social is another alternative to Similar Worlds.
Like Similar Worlds, WT.Social allows you to discover only topics that interest you. So, there are no algorithm-based suggestions here. However, WT.Social primarily focuses on news stories rather than personal topics.
WT.Social is composed of SubWikis, discussion threads devoted to specific topics. A SubWiki is similar to a subreddit on Reddit.
In a SubWiki, members can share text, links, and media. Members can upvote SubWiki posts (but not down-vote them like on Reddit) and comment on them.
One of the impressive things I found about WikiTribune Social is that advertisers don’t call the shots. The platform is ad-free, and as a result, the platform’s ads only consist of promotions of the company’s other apps and products.
You can join WikiTribune Social for free using your Facebook or Twitter account. Another option is to fill out the sign-up form on the homepage and select the language of your choice.
After creating your account, you’re automatically enrolled in several SubWikis, listed on the “Onboarding” page. Among the categories are Long Reads, Fighting Misinformation, and Weird News.
If you are not interested in any of these SubWikis, you can select Leave. Additionally, you can edit the description of each SubWiki by selecting Edit.
WT.Social is unavailable on iOS and Android devices.
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4. Reddit
I have covered a bit about Reddit above, so it is only right to mention it here.
Reddit is a massive forum with more than 400 active users monthly all over the world! It is considered one of the “big three” websites alongside Google and YouTube.
It is an online discussion website divided into thousands of communities like Similar Worlds, called “subreddits.”
These subreddits are known as “subreddits” because they discuss different topics within a specific category, such as Movies & TV or Science & Tech. There are subreddits for almost anything you can think of!
Click the close button on the top right corner of any post to filter out future posts from that subreddit if you don’t want to see them. In addition, you can manage which subreddits are being filtered. Any promoted posts (ads) will also disappear.
The site includes upvoting and downvoting, commenting on posts, hiding posts from your feed, filtering your feed, creating and managing multiple subreddit accounts, and managing multiple accounts simultaneously using one login ID and password.
However, voting on the same post with multiple accounts is not permitted because this constitutes vote manipulation.
You can receive real-time notifications when a comment is made on a post you’re following, or a post gets an upvote or downvote.
To receive notifications of comments made on your posts, click the drop-down menu under your username and select “Turn on comment notifications.” You can also choose “Turn off comment notifications” to turn off the notification feature.
Reddit also allows users to create anonymous profiles so that users can define themselves on the platform.
Another cool feature I like is the live video streams that users can participate in when they decide to discuss topics live on the site.
Reddit offers a premium service that costs $5.99 monthly. When you subscribe to this service, you can access ad-free browsing and the exclusive subreddit r/lounge.
The site has a dark theme if you prefer to use it instead of the default light theme. You can download and use the app for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.
Explore the best alternatives to Reddit in this post.
5. Gab
Gab is another free speech social networking site and an alternative to Similar Worlds.
Like Similar Worlds, Gab has groups users can join that talk about different topics. Users can join groups from known organizations or start their group with others to discuss a specific topic of interest.
A group’s owner manages posts and comments from users. Users can also create their groups on the site.
Gab envisions an open and decentralized future for online publishing. Thus, Gab Social gives you a choice as a user.
Alternatively, users can create their own Gab Social server to manage and communicate with millions of users worldwide via their federated servers if they are unhappy with what they are doing on Gab.com or would like to control their own experience.
Although Gab supports free speech and no censorship, the platform blocks posts that involve illegal activity, threats of violence, harassment, pornography, child exploitation, and spam.
Unlike Similar Worlds and the other platforms on this list, Gab has a marketplace on the website where Gabbers can buy and sell products and services. However, you do not need an account to access the Gab marketplace; you can share listings anywhere.
6. Diaspora
Diaspora is another social network built on decentralizing data and giving users control over their data and identity.
Like Similar Worlds, Diaspora allows users to discover and connect with people who share similar interests, follow new topics, find friends, and be part of a vibrant online community.
According to the website, Diaspora is built on three philosophies: decentralization, which allows users to own and control their data, privacy by design, and open protocols. This means no centralized servers to retain your information and no ads to be tracked by advertisers.
Freedom is another philosophy of Diaspora, where users don’t need to reveal their identity to connect with others. Users can also choose how they want their information shared on the platform using different privacy settings – e.g., public, private, semi-private – rather than having restrictive controls like on other social networks like Facebook.
And finally, privacy. Users have complete control over who can access their data.
Diaspora does require users to have an account. However, users don’t have to use their real names when they create an account on Diaspora. The website allows users to use a handle or screen name when registering their account.
Features include hashtags to follow your interests, groups to find people with similar interests or passions, and multi-network support. This feature allows users to link their Diaspora account to their Twitter, Tumblr, and WordPress accounts.
7. Steemit
Want to get paid to use a social networking platform? Steemit!
Steemit is another excellent alternative to Similar Worlds for finding and interacting with people with similar interests. But there’s more to Steemit than simple interest-based communities: users can earn cryptocurrency for content creation on the site.
Steemit is a social media platform similar to Reddit; however, the site uses cryptocurrency to reward users who share great content on their site. The platform also uses blockchain technology to maintain the integrity of its rewards system and prevent fake content from being rewarded.
Like Similar Worlds, the website lets users create communities around specific interests or post content such as videos, images, links, music, etc.
There are also dedicated categories for news, games, sports, science & technology, entertainment & arts, and other random topics.
However, with Steemit, users can make money by posting and commenting on posts by other users on the Steemit platform.
The platform has a cryptocurrency called STEEM that users can earn by contributing content to the Steemit network.
When users receive an upvote on their post, they are rewarded with STEEM tokens that can be traded for other crypto coins or used to purchase goods and services on the Steemit platform. The more upvotes you receive on your post, the more rewards you receive from the community.
You can also earn additional rewards for participating in activities on the social media platform, such as writing articles, curating content on your profile, or following other users on social media networks. Not bad, right?
8. Identi.ca
Open-source, decentralized social network? That’s the future of the Internet.
Identi.ca is a decentralized social network that allows users to create and share content they own or control on their terms without interference from third parties or government agencies. It is open-source and free to access for anyone in the world who wants to use it.
This platform runs on Pump.io, a decentralized/federated network. Users can register on any Pump.io public server and communicate with other Pump users.
Like Similar Worlds, users can follow other users, post notes, images, and other media, and like, share, or reply to their posts.
Upon registering, you will see the default web interface. This web interface allows you to interact with the Pump network, or you can install a desktop client (or app), a mobile client, or use a third-party web service of your choice.
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9. Friendica
Another open-source, decentralized social networking platform and a great alternative to Similar Worlds is Friendica.
Friendica is an open-source project that provides a free social networking service based on the Friendica software stack and the Friendica API.
The software stack includes a self-hosted social networking server and a web application frontend for users to interact with this social community via their website or mobile application.
The Friendica API allows developers to create their applications using the social network’s open standards to access user data and interact with the community.
Similar Worlds features are also available on this platform, such as following other profiles and sharing media with the community.
Other features include an events calendar, privacy with military encryption, themes, and add-ons. You also have an integration to other social networking sites like Diaspora, Mastodon, GNJ social, Pleroma, Buffer, WordPress, Twitter, etc. (that’s a lot of integrations).
The website is free to use and download, but you must purchase a domain name if you want to host your version of the social website. With this approach, you can control and avoid sharing your data entirely.
10. Facebook
Facebook needs no introduction. It is the most prominent social networking site in the world. Whether you need to find people with similar interests (like in Similar Worlds) or you just want to be connected with your friends online, Facebook is the answer.
To use Facebook, you need to sign-up with a username and create a profile for yourself. You can add friends on Facebook and follow their interests and activities on the site.
Like on Similar Worlds, you can also upload photos and add status updates to share with the rest of the community. Other Facebook users can comment on your posts and interact with you on the platform.
To protect your privacy on the network, you can enable privacy settings to block people you don’t want to see your posts. This is very helpful if you don’t want to share your posts on your network with people you don’t know.
You can also restrict who can view your photos and who can tag you in photos. So you know who is viewing your content and has access to it on Facebook.
With Facebook, you can monetize your social presence using third-party applications and online services.
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11. ColdCast
ColdCast is a Facebook replica. It has the same layout as Facebook’s site and tries to bring the essence of Facebook to the web. Social content is aggregated on the site and updated in real time.
Again, similar to Facebook, it has its own newsfeeds where users can share content over multiple topics like music, movies, sports, etc.
As in Similar Worlds, you can easily create and join groups on the platform and post content. You can also like and comment on other users’ content on their posts so you can interact with them on the platform.
The site is only available for Android, as an iOS version is still in the works.
12. GNU social
GNU social is a free software project that aims to provide a decentralized alternative to social networks like Facebook and other centralized platforms where users’ data is vulnerable to hackers and other cybercriminals.
As an alternative to Similar Worlds, it allows users to connect to a free network of thousands of communities, each with a different topic.
The project is also designed to create a free platform for social interaction on the web that anyone can use to create and share their own content and interact with others on the social media site.
It’s an open-source project that allows you to develop your website using the social media network’s APIs and host it on your domain to avoid sharing your data with the social media company.
It also provides tools to build websites and applications that integrate with the social media platform so you can create your own social network for free on the web.
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13. Panion
Panion is another social networking site like Similar Worlds that lets people connect with like-minded people and relevant activities.
Panion does not feature status updates or popularity contests, unlike other social networking platforms. The platform focuses exclusively on helping you build real-life, lasting connections.
With Panion, you can filter interests, find events, and search for specific people to meet up with in the real world. You can join groups, share thoughts and ideas, and find activities that interest you using the platform.
The drawback for Panion is that it is not a free platform. You need to register and subscribe to one of the three membership plans available to take advantage of the application’s features fully.
14. Groupalike
Although it does not have a web version like Similar Worlds, Groupalike is one of the closest applications to Similar Worlds on this list.
You can connect with people nearby who share similar interests with you through a matching algorithm. This algorithm helps you discover groups on the app that you might be interested in joining or start your group and invite people to join it based on your interests.
To break the ice, you can play games with others using the platform’s built-in games feature or engage in conversation using text chat.
And once everyone is chatting and getting to know each other better, you can take things offline, meet in person, and try out common interests.
15. CivilTalk
Finally, we have CivilTalk. CivilTalk is like Similar Worlds because it lets you connect with people of similar interests. But the twist is the kind of interest.
Unlike in Similar Worlds, where you can search for people with almost any interest, on CIvilTalk, you are looking to connect with people who care about helping others.
Users on CivilTalk seek ways to help their local community by discovering non-profits, volunteers, good samaritans, and other organizations passionate about helping people.
Whether you are looking to help your child’s school raise money for field trips or contribute your time to an organization that encourages education for children in countries suffering from war, you can find like-minded people on CivilTalk who share your interests.
To join the community, you must register and become a member.
Conclusion: What is the Best Similar Worlds Alternative?
My choice for the best Similar Worlds alternative is Mastodon, and the reasons are pretty straightforward.
First, it is a decentralized social network, so the social media company doesn’t have to worry about your data being hacked or abused.
Second, it is open source meaning anyone can develop their version of the social network and share it online for others to use and even host on their domain without sharing it with the social media company itself.
Third, it has a vast community of users, so you can find many different communities you can join and build lasting relationships.
And lastly, it has a very user-friendly interface that virtually anyone can quickly learn to use.
