Eight photo-centric social sites that are not Instagram

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Liz Lopatto wrote a very funny post about the ad-ification and TikTok-ification of social media websites. Can someone build a simple photo app that isn't sleazy and let me know where it is so I can join it? She is not the only one who has been walking back some of her changes because of user complaints.

The comments section of Liz's post became filled with various suggestions for alternative photo sites where you could post your cat pictures and other cute and funny photos and have your friends and family look at them. I looked at some of them, and some that I found somewhere else.

Most of the websites listed below are focused on still photography, work on a variety of operating systems, and allow comments. Most have at least a basic free component. It is more likely that someone you don't know will follow your work because they are not as well-known. Even if you don't like the venue, it's a good idea to hang out where the people are.

If you are serious about photography, many of these sites offer a community where you can discuss your works with other photographers.

There are a few photo-friendly social networking sites that you might want to consider.

Free sites

Vero

Vero is a good solution if you are looking for a simpler version of the popular photo sharing app. Vero wants to make itself a place for creators, including photographers, so they can be verified for enhanced discoverability. The FAQ page explains exactly what data it collects and when. The app is free for early users, but may charge a fee in the future.

The focus is on social networking. A photo, a link to a site, or an audio file can be used to make a post. A book, an app, a game, or a place can be used as the basis for a post. You have the option of sharing your posts with friends or the public. When I signed in, I found that there were various accounts under categories such as music, nature, and photography.

If you're looking for a place to post your best photos, and don't mind having to steer your friends to a new site, Vero may be a good place to start.

Pixelfed

Image: Pixelfed

If you do a search for an alternative to the photo sharing service, you will likely find it. The open-source tool claims to be a free and ethical photo sharing platform. It may take a bit of education to get used to it, but it sounds great.

You can either join one of the various Pixelfed server or use the easy-to-access code. The most popular server, which has 54,200 users, was not accepting new registration when I joined. At the time I checked, thegraphics had a little under 1,250 users.

All that being said, the interface of the site is very similar to that of a photo sharing website. If you have the know-how and the inclination to create your own server, it could be fun. If you want a more robust crowd size for social networking, you will have to look somewhere else.

Flickr

The site has been around for a while. If you are looking for a place to share your stuff without having to deal with extraneous features, it may be worth a second look after it got a bad rap a few years ago.

There are two types of accounts for the app. You cannot post nudity along with other sexual no-nos, as well as uploading up to 1000 items, and you can only post moderate and restricted content. Free accounts can't have more than 50 nonpublic photos. There are ads at the top of the page, on the side, and occasionally in the photostream itself.

If you can live with the restrictions, you can still use the site. Each photo has a comments section, as well as information on where the photo was taken, what camera it was taken on, and at what angle it was shot. You can choose from a number of different sizes and dimensions if the photo's owner allows it to be downloaded. You can organize your photos and make edits to them.

It will cost you $8.25 a month, $72 for one year, or $133 for two years if you want more.

Degoo

You can't make your photos public for anyone to see on Degoo. They can be arranged in albums, shared with friends, and collected comments. 100Gig of storage is provided in the free ad-based version. It can only be used on an unlimited number of devices, but can be uploaded from up to five.

It is necessary for you to access your account at least once a year. Pro is a paid account that removes the ads and time limit, and Ultimate is a paid account that gives you 10 terabytes of storage.

500px

This isn't a good place to show off your cat photos if they are really good. Pros can store, exhibit, and license their work at 500px. You might get some reactions to your best photos, even if you don't get the kind of back and forth you get on.

Seven uploads a week is possible with the free plan. The Awesome plan offers unlimited uploads, priority support, no ads, a history of "liked" photos, gallery slideshows, and a profile Badge for $59.88 a year or $4.99 a month. You can display your services and organization tools for a fee with the Pro plan. Awesome costs $47.88 a year or $3.99 a month, while Pro costs $71.88 a year or $5.99 a month.

DeviantArt

Image: DeviantArt

Although anyone can join for free, Deviant Art is more for professional photographers. The galleries are divided into categories such as traditional, animation, and illustrations. The focus here is on creating a community of artists, so there are new chat features as well.

With a free membership to DeviantArt, there are no restrictions on how much you can post, and you can join the community of artists. You can become a core member if you want to sell your photography and exhibit it. You can sell your art with a 12 percent fee on gallery, download, or commission sales, as well as a $1,000 max price per digital item along with 20GB of private storage space. There are more than one level available.

For-pay sites

VSCO

Image: VSCO

Photographers can store, edit, and share their work in VSCO. VSCO Spaces allows members to create shared galleries around a particular theme, photography style, event, or location. Nonmember guests can't see the work, but they can contribute to the comments. VSCO Stories is a place where you can share your work. There is a 30-day free trial for VSCO, which is available for the Mac, Windows PC, iPad, and Android.

Glass

Image: Glass

Photographers can use Glass to create and share portfolios. It used to be invitation only and Apple only. You don't need an invitation to join, but you will need an Apple ID in the future, according to Glass. It can be accessed via both the web and the mobile device. According to the FAQ page, there isn't an app in the works. There is a 14- day free trial for glass.