Three hours into a logo project and I've just realised the thing I kept deleting was the best idea. Putting it back. #design
A friendly place to share what you’re up to
LairdSocial is a free, open-source social platform you can run on your own Cloudflare account. This is the live demo, so have a go. Read the feed, follow people, like and comment.
Demo mode lets you try everything as a made-up person. New sign-ups are switched off, and the demo resets every hour.
Reminder that a button that looks like a link and a link that looks like a button are both bugs. #accessibility #webdev
What’s inside version 1
Text and photo posts
Short posts with optional pictures, plus a following feed. Photo uploads are one setting away.
Likes and comments
Say what you think on any post. Every post has its own page you can share.
Profiles and follows
A photo, a name and a short bio for everyone, with follow and unfollow.
Made for phones
The layout shifts to a tab bar on small screens, and everything stays readable.
A friendly place for people to share
Share a thought, a photo or a small win. Your people are only a click away.
How it works
- Try it as a demo personPress “Try the demo”. No account or password needed.
- Have a look aroundRead the feed, follow people, like posts and leave a comment.
- Run your own copyThe code is free. Put it on your own Cloudflare account in a few steps.
Why run your own social network
Big platforms are built for advertisers and algorithms. Your own network is built for the people in it. Here is what that looks like in everyday use.
Far less spam
No ads, no bots and no strangers pushing products. You choose who joins, so the feed stays clean.
Focused on you and your friends
You see the people you follow, in the order they posted. Nothing gets slipped in to keep you scrolling.
More personal
Your name, your colours and your rules. It feels like a place that belongs to you, not a place you are visiting.
Your data stays with you
Everything lives in your own Cloudflare account. It is not sold, mined or locked away on someone else’s platform.
No surprise changes
No hidden algorithm and no overnight rule changes. It works tomorrow the way it works today.
Free to use and change
The code is open source. Add a feature, change a colour or take it in a direction nobody else would.
Questions people ask
Most people ask the same few things before they try a network of their own. These are short, honest answers about cost, privacy and how much work it takes. If yours is not here, the README goes into more detail.
Is it really free?
The code is free and open source under the MIT licence. A small network fits comfortably inside Cloudflare’s free plan. Photo uploads use Cloudflare R2, which asks for a payment card when you switch it on, but its free allowance is generous.
Do I need to be a developer?
No, but you do need to be happy following steps. The README walks you through copying the code, creating a database and pressing deploy. Most people finish in under an hour.
Who can see the posts?
In this version, posts are public, so anyone who visits can read them. Private groups and messages are not built yet.
Can I choose who joins?
Yes. One setting turns sign ups on or off. This demo has them switched off, so you can look around as a made-up person instead.
Is the demo data real?
No. Every person and post in the demo is made up, and everything resets to the sample data every hour. Post, like and comment as much as you like.
Can I change how it looks?
Yes. The name is one setting, and the colours and fonts live in a single plain style file. You can change anything else in the code too.