Friday, 23 October 2026

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Stubli, a kinder “kind of” social network. “Kind of”, because it’s your own little website first and a social network second.

First, what is a stubli? A Stübli is Swiss German for a small, cosy living room, the kind you find in old farmhouses, chalets and village inns. Swiss German loves its diminutives: making something small makes it cosy, and a little bit cute.

Stubli is your own living room on the web. It’s made for everyday life and for the friends who matter. Like a good living room, it’s a place to be yourself and to welcome guests, old and new.

If you know Instagram, you’ll know where to tap. But some things are different. There’s no like button, because a heart on a sad post says the wrong thing. Comments carry the meaning instead. You can have several collections on one profile, one for each thing you love. And there’s a journal for short entries, a bit like the early 2000s. There’s more to find, so take your time.

Stubli runs in your browser, with nothing to download from an app store. It’s decentralised: your Stubli is your own website, not an account on someone else’s platform, and you can take it with you whenever you like.

The software is free and will stay free: no ads, no data sold, supported only by donations. You do pay for hosting. I recommend WordPress.com, which I’ve tested. The Personal plan is around the price of a cup of coffee in exchange for freedom, which I think it’s very well worth it.

 After all, when a product is free, you’re usually the product.

Stubli is in beta, so things will break. Tell me through the feedback form, and send me your wishes too.

If you’d like to join, ask me for an invite link. We’ll follow each other automatically.

That’s all for today!

Cheers,

Celestine