With the recent change in Tumblr’s policy on nudity many creators (and visitors) are looking for an alternative platform to keep on going.
I have listed alternative platforms which came to my mind and did some basic research to help you to make an educated choice.
What made tumblr attractive in the past was a unique combination of
- a large user base, which both provides plenty of new content and people eager to look/like/reblog it (in other words: A large audience to the creators work)
- Liberal rules on nudity
- Wed and mobile application
- No costs
This combination is hard to find again.
My verdicts are for now:
- Ello or deviantArt for creators who wnt to share their work among other creators
- Vero for people who are essentially looking for a “nsfw-Instagram”
- VK.com: For the adventurous
- 500px: I want to post or view really good photographed breasts
- Flickr: I just ant du dump all my hotos somewhere to share it by link
- Artfolio, Website: I need a “business card” to share by link
I personally will focus on Ello, Vero and my own website. Let me know if you are in
Ello
- Description/Claim: “The Creators Network”. Ello is a global community of artists dedicated to creative excellence. Built by artists, for artists
- Type of Service: Instagramm-Like. Kinda.
- Address: https://www.ello.co/
- Costs: Free
- Number of Users: > 1 million
- Mobile Client: Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English
- Policy on Nudity: If you regularly post
adult-oriented content, otherwise deemed NSFW, please respect those in our community
that do not wish to see it by flagging your profile Not Safe for Work (NSFW).
- Other: Ello claims several notable distinguishing intentions as a social network: never sell user data to advertisers or third parties, never show advertisements, and not enforce a real-name policy.
Vero
- Description/Claim: Vero is a social network for anyone who loves anything enough to share it – and wants control over who they share it with. Just like we do in real life.
- Type of Service: Instagramm-Like
- Address: https://www.vero.co/
- Costs: “free for Life”
- Number of Users: > 1 million
- Mobile Client: Available
- Web Client: Not Available
- Main Language: English
- Policy on Nudity: No Policy against Nudity. However, Vero has a a “Flag as inappropriate” functionality
- Other: High degree of Transparency. See https://www.vero.co/vero-manifesto/
DeviantArt
- Description/Claim: Bleed and Breed Art - We are where art starts, but that’s only the beginning. We are the movement for the liberation of creative expression. We believe that art is for everyone, and we’re creating the cultural context for how it is created, discovered, and shared.
- Type Of Service: Deviant-Art-Like ;-).
- Address: https://www.deviantart.com/
- Costs: Free / Subscription Based
- Number of Users: > 40 million
- Mobile Client: Not Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English
- Policy On Nudity: Liberal, details unknown
- Main Language: English
- Other: User Interface created in early ’90 as it seems
Vk.com
- Description/Claim: VK (short for its original name VKontakte; Russian: ВКонта́кте, meaning InContact) is a Russian online social media and social networking service.
- Type Of Service: Facebook-Like
- Address: VK.com
- Costs: Free / Advertisement based
- Number of Users: > 100 million (>95% Russian)
- Mobile Client: Available
- Web Client: Not Available (?)
- Main Language: Russian
- Policy On Nudity: Liberal, details unknown
- Main Language: Russian
- Other: Owned by Mail.ru which has strong ties to Russian government
500px
- Description/Claim: The community for passionate photographers. Join over 15 million photographers from 195 countries to discover and share incredible photos, gain global exposure, and get paid for your work and skills.
- Type Of Service: Image Hosting
- Address: https://500px.com/
- Costs: Free and Subscription
- Number of Users: 15 Million
- Mobile Client: Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English
- Policy On Nudity: [It is forbidden] To post […] any Visual Content or Communications that are libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, offensive, profane, or that infringes any copyright or other right of any person
- Other: Initially Russian-owned, now Chinese. Knowing for banning users without warning or explanation
Flickr
- Description/Claim: We want to help people make their photos available to the people who matter to them.
- Type Of Service: Image Hosting
- Address: https://www.flickr.com/
- Costs: Free and Subscription
- Number of Users: 15 Million
- Mobile Client: Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English
- Policy On Nudity: Liberal, But restricted in Germany (?): After further researching our available options, we decided to adjust our policy in Germany to enable pictures rated as “moderate” to be visible for our users starting today. We’ve received plenty of feedback from our members on this and hopefully this change helps address some of the desires expressed while still complying with legal requirements regarding age verification.
- Used to be owned by Yahoo (former owner of Tumblr), now sold to SmugMug
Artfolio, Patreon, Own Website…
- Description/Claim: Showcase your work
- Type Of Service: Portfolio/Homepage
- Address: …what you make of it
- Costs: Subscription
- Number of Users: Next to zero – unless you run some serious marketing or are very well known
- Mobile Client: Not Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: Your Choice
- Policy On Nudity: Your Policy – but has to obey the law
- Other: Beyond tightening provisions around hate speech and illegal content, Patreon essentially banned sex workers and adult content of a sexual nature as of October 2018.
FetLife, JoyClub
- Description/Claim: Follow your Kinks
- Type Of Service: Social networks, focused on Sex/fetish
- Address: fetlife.com/joyclub.de
- Costs: Subscription
- Number of Users: > 2 Million each
- Mobile Client: Not Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English, German
- Policy On Nudity: Very relaxed
- Other: Focus is not on photography but on Sex/fetish/porn
ModelMahem, PurplePort, ModelKartei
- Description/Claim: Social Networks focused on Modelling/Photography
- Type Of Service: Social networks, focused on Modelling/Photography
- Address: modelmayhem.com, purpleport.com, model-kartei.de
- Costs: Subscription
- Number of Users: < 100k each
- Mobile Client: Not Available
- Web Client: Available
- Main Language: English, German
- Policy On Nudity: Liberal, No Porn though
- Other:
