Why Back RSocial?
Most software you use is paid for by someone — and if it's free, that someone is usually an advertiser, which is exactly the model RSocial exists to escape. We've chosen not to fund RSocial by selling your attention or your data. That's the whole point of the project: no ads, no tracking, no data marketplace.
But building a genuinely private, self-hostable social platform still takes real work — development, testing, security, and the hardware research behind things like the Mini-PC Node. Backers are how we fund that work without falling back on the advertising model. In short: your support is what lets RSocial stay independent and put you, not advertisers, first.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Backing the project directly funds the things that make RSocial trustworthy and usable:
- Development — building out the core platform, notifications, following, and connected communities on our roadmap.
- Security — the encryption, authentication, and careful engineering described across the Security section.
- Hardware — research into plug-and-play devices like the Mini-PC Node, so self-hosting is easy for everyone, not just the technical.
- Independence — keeping RSocial free of advertising, tracking, and outside investors who'd want to change that.
What You Get as a Founding Backer
Backing isn't only about supporting the mission — backers get real perks, which grow with the tier you choose:
- Updates & a say — behind-the-scenes development updates and a vote on the community polls that shape the roadmap.
- Lifetime early access — permanent early access to every new feature before its public release.
- Founding-backer themes — exclusive themes you won't find elsewhere, plus entry into the monthly Mini-PC giveaway.
- Hardware — the top tier includes an RSocial Mini-PC Node on hardware upgrades, with priority input on the roadmap.
The exact perks for each tier are listed on the homepage.
Read more — who is this for?
Backing is for anyone who wants a social platform that answers to its users instead of advertisers — whether that's because you care about privacy, you're tired of being profiled, or you simply like the idea of running your own corner of the internet. You don't have to be technical, and you don't have to run a server to back the project; you're helping build something you (and others) can use, on your own terms, when it's ready.
It's also worth being clear about what backing is and isn't, because RSocial deliberately avoids the usual model. It isn't buying a subscription to a service that harvests you in return, and it isn't taking outside investment that would eventually pressure the project to add ads or sell data to show a return. It's people who want this to exist chipping in to fund the work directly — which is precisely what lets the platform stay independent and keep its promises. If you'd rather help with your time than your wallet — running a node, testing, or contributing code — that's just as valuable, and the contact page is the place to start.
How to Back the Project
When you're ready, the backer tiers live on the homepage — you can join monthly via Patreon, from a small Supporter tier up to Founding Backer and Enterprise, with a one-time PayPal option on the way. Every contribution counts, and every tier comes with its own perks.
Still Have Questions?
Want to know more before you back us, or interested in helping in another way — like running a node or writing code? Reach out and let's talk.