Keep in mind that I don't encourage anyone to use Discord, and you are definitely better off using open source alternatives like Revolt or Matrix. However, if you absolutely need to use Discord (which I will not advocate), the least you could do is either use it in private browsing and erase the cookies after use, or use any open source client listed in this post!

Today i'll be showing you some open source clients to Discord that will at least try to give you some privacy instead of the original Discord client. Before you use any of these, make sure to turn off Discord telemetry in settings, then uninstall Discord and replace it with these open source clients, or as I said before you can use it in private browsing and erase the cookies after use!

Goofcord (Probably the best option!)

This client has such a silly name, but let me explain what it is first lol. Goofcord is a Discord client that focuses on privacy and customization while providing you full control over everything. It blocks most tracking and uses a variety of features, such as message encryption, to improve your privacy and security. It also includes Vencord and Shelter built in, uses Invidious links instead of YouTube, performs much faster than the original Discord client, has great support on Linux, Windows, Mac and even Windows 7/8 systems and is the best client on this list. I highly recommend it! Download it here on the GitHub

Webcord

Webcord is a Discord client built without the Discord API. It significantly improves the user's privacy. It prevents known tracking and fingerprinting methods, but it does not end there. It also maintains permissions to sensitive APIs such as the camera and microphone, and it creates its own user agent to match the one used by Chromium browsers. Webcord is also fully written in Typescript rather than Java, runs on Electron, and is very customizable. Download it here on the GitHub

Datcord

Datcord is an open-source Discord client that respects your privacy, uses Firefox instead of Chromium, and renders emojis better than the standard Discord client. Keep in mind that it just removes some of the tracking, and Discord may can still track you (Just not as much). It will still feel the same as the original Discord client, just significantly faster, and if your computer can't run Goofcord or Webcord, this is a viable alternative! Download it here on the GitHub

SpaceBarChat

Spacebar is a free, open-source communication platform that is compatible with Discord. It is decentralized, adjustable, expandable, secure, and highly customizable. You can easily add your Discord bots and other content to it, and this is likely the best solution for people who prefer to selfhost. I would not call this an open source discord client, but rather a discord compatible alternative. There is actually no client used for Spacebar at all, you just simply make a account and use the website!

Mobile Support

Aliucord (Android)

Aliucord is a open source modification of the original Android discord app which blocks most Discord Tracking/Analytics (Not all of them), has support for Plugins and has a In-app updater system to keep Aliucord and your plugins up-to-date!

Unfortunately, there is no Open Source IOS Discord client available since IOS is proprietary (unless you jailbreak your phone, which is extremely risky) or until Apple makes IOS open source, which is highly unlikely going to happen in the future. You're probably better off using Discord on your PC only.

Will you now have 100% privacy with Discord? No, you won't, and as I previously stated, your best option is to use a Discord alternative such as Revolt or Matrix, but if you absolutely must use Discord (which I do not recommend), you can at least use one of these Open Source Discord Clients that will at least attempt to provide you with some privacy. Choose whatever runs on your computer best and stick with it!

As always if there is any incorrect information on this post, please notify me and I'll change it right away!

I'm quite sure everyone understands how dreadful Twitter is: its user base, privacy policy, moderation, and everything else about it is terrible. People usually leave Twitter for one of the four reasons I just mentioned. Most of the time when people leave Twitter, they commonly choose Bluesky or Mastodon, which are both popular open source decentralized social media platforms, and one of them is also known for cats :3

Let's talk about which one is better and make a final decision on what platform you should use instead of Twitter.

Bluesky (Finally) and Mastodon are both open source, decentralized social media platforms. Both are constantly expanding with new features similar to Twitter, but they are all free to use and do not require subscription (unlike Twitter), and you can do a lot more with both! However, there are a few of negatives with one of the social networking networks over the other, which is Bluesky.

Now, while I give the Bluesky developers some respect for making it open source and decentralized, there are a few serious issues with it right now, including its user base and moderation.

One huge thing that BlueSky did was fairly recently released a feature that will make it even easier for people to harass you the moment they join the platform, the feature is called Starter Packs. This is not even an opt-out feature, and there is no genuine moderation involved. Not only that, but Bluesky is full of anti-Iranian racists everywhere on the platform; the Bluesky moderators have done nothing to address it, and it has not changed since, and if someone quits Twitter and switches to Bluesky, they are literally moving to the exact same platform, except slightly decentralized and open source. Bluesky is TWITTER and isn't really so much better in terms of privacy either even as it being open source.

Until Bluesky improves its moderation and other aspects, it is recommended to leave Twitter or Bluesky by deleting your account, find yourself a good Mastodon instance or create your own Mastodon, and make a account on it :3

Huge thanks to Cyrus and David's Creation for giving me some pointers on what Bluesky is doing, you should definitely check both of them out!

As always, if there is any incorrect information on this post, notify me and I will correct it right away!

What is Vivaldi?

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser that appears to support privacy, full customization, performance, and productivity. It is a browser that is commonly used as a privacy alternative to Chrome (and it is far superior to Chrome).

However, in this post, I'll explain why I don't recommend Vivaldi as a truly privacy-friendly browser and why I personally think it's kind of suspicious. Let's talk about it!

Vivaldi claims to be a privacy-friendly browser, and some of its features sound promising! It has tracking & ad protection and some privacy protections turned on by default. It's also one of the most customizable browsers I've ever used, with a smooth, stable, and feature-rich interface. I appreciate the concept of Vivaldi, and in terms of stability, the Vivaldi developers have done an excellent job with it.

However, there are some drawbacks to Vivaldi. You see, Vivaldi is only officially "partially" open source; things like the UI and specific features of Vivaldi are not open source, and I believe that for it to claim to be a privacy browser, it should be completely open source. Vivaldi states that the reason they aren't fully open source is because they are afraid of "forks" and that their brand would be overwhelmed by forks of their product.

Personally, I don't think Vivaldi would be overshadowed at all, given that it's very popular, and browsers like Firefox and Chromium are open source, with plenty of forks revolving around the two. Some of these are well-known, such as Librewolf, Floorp (which will be discussed later during this post), and Waterfox, but they do not completely overshadow Mozilla. Vivaldi when it comes to Privacy is kind of fishy and don't get me wrong their privacy policy and some of the privacy features they offer by default are great but because of it not being completely open source, I just simply wouldn't recommend it as a privacy respecting browser and I can't trust something that isn't fully open source.

If you wouldn't recommend Vivaldi, what would you recommend?

Floorp

I know this project has a strange name, but let me explain what it is first lmao. Floorp is a well-known Firefox fork that is very customizable and closely resembles Vivaldi. It has many similar features to Vivaldi, including customizable design, a flexible layout, and much more. Because it uses Firefox, it is completely open source, so you won't have to worry about anything and you can easily check it's source code. It comes with several security features activated by default, such as strong tracking protection, and it is regularly updated.

I would honestly recommend this over Vivaldi because it is completely open source, has many privacy features enabled by default, is just as customizable, and allows you to do so much more with it.

Vivaldi is honestly mediocre in terms of privacy, and if you want something similar, you should probably go with Floorp. If you just want a simple privacy browser, you should go with Librewolf. Mozilla has been doing some strange things lately, but that is a discussion for another day.

If you have any questions or if I have stated any incorrect information, please let me know, and I will gladly change it.