Farcaster charges $7 per storage unit per year, which holds up to 5,000 casts, while Lens lets you post without holding GHO and charges only to collect posts. Both let one account move between apps with its followers. Zora goes further and turns each post into a coin with a 1% trading fee. Bluesky is left out: it is a decentralized network but not built on a blockchain.
Quick answer
Farcaster is the best pick for most people: accounts are onchain, work across apps, and cost $7 a year in storage. Use Lens through Orb for a mobile-first feed, and Zora if you want posts to trade as coins.
- 01Farcaster: Best overall
- 02Lens: best for gas-free posting
- 03Zora: best for creator earnings
- 04Orb: Best mobile app
- 05Towns: best for paid groups
The 6 best Web3 social apps
Any Ethereum address can register a Farcaster account, and it moves between apps without losing followers or posts. A $7 storage unit covers a year and up to 5,000 casts, and its Snapchain node code is on GitHub.
- Chains
- Ethereum addresses; accounts registered onchain
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, API
- Custody
- Self-custody
- Fees
- $7 per storage unit per year
- Open source
- Yes (Snapchain)
Pros
- Accounts move between apps without losing followers or posts
- Snapchain node code is public on GitHub
- Free offchain usernames are available
Cons
- Storage costs $7 per unit per year, and old casts are pruned past 5,000
- Free fnames can be revoked by Farcaster at any time
- Messages can be lost if storage expires past the 30-day grace period
Skip it if you post a lot and never want old posts pruned: casts beyond 5,000 per storage unit are dropped.
#2L
Best for gas-free posting
Lens runs on Lens Chain, a Layer 2 on zkSync's ZK Stack, and one Lens account works in Orb, Hey, Firefly and other apps. Posting needs no GHO; only collecting posts does. Lens is part of MaskDAO.
- Chains
- Lens Chain (Layer 2 on zkSync ZK Stack)
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Chains
- Lens Chain, a Layer 2 on zkSync's ZK Stack
- Company
- Part of MaskDAO; site operated by Mask Network
- Open source
- Yes, public repositories on GitHub
Pros
- One account and follower graph across many apps
- Posting needs no GHO, per the Lens FAQ
- Protocol code public on GitHub (33 repositories)
Cons
- Collecting posts requires GHO on Lens Chain
- Social data uses Validium mode, with state kept offchain
- Protocol FAQ was last updated April 7, 2025
Skip it if you want full onchain data: social data uses Validium, with state kept offchain.
#3Z
Best for creator earnings
On Zora each profile and post can become a coin with a 1 billion supply on Uniswap V4. Creators earn a share of the 1% fee on every trade, and a 99% sniper tax decaying over 10 seconds limits launch bots.
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Fees
- 1% on creator and content coins; 0.01% on trend coins
- Token
- ZORA
- Open source
- Yes
- Chains
- Base, Robinhood Chain and Solana
Pros
- Creators earn a share of the 1% fee on every trade of their coins
- Sniper tax of 99% decaying over 10 seconds limits launch bots
- Protocol contracts and SDKs are public on GitHub
Cons
- 1% trading fee on creator and content coins
- Half of each creator coin supply vests to the creator over 5 years
- Protocol rewards are paid in ZORA, so their value moves with that token
Skip it if you want a plain social feed: every post here is also a tradeable coin.
Orb is a mobile app built on Lens, listed in the US App Store by Orb Technology Inc. Followers you gain in Orb carry over to other Lens apps.
- Chains
- Lens Chain
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- US availability
- Yes, listed in the US App Store
- Company
- Orb Technology Inc.
- Pricing
- Free on the App Store
Pros
- Listed in the US App Store
- Followers carry over to other Lens apps
- iOS and Android apps
Cons
- Download counts differ between Orb's site (300k) and lens.xyz (800,000+)
- Mobile only; no desktop app listed
- Depends on Lens Chain for accounts and posts
Skip it if you want a desktop app: Orb lists only iOS and Android.
Towns lets communities charge onchain memberships for encrypted group chats, with contracts on Base. It is in the US App Store and its protocol code is on GitHub.
- Chains
- Base, plus its own Towns Chain
- Platforms
- Web, iOS
- Token
- TOWNS
- Chains
- Base (smart contracts), plus Towns Chain
- Open source
- Yes, public repositories on GitHub
Pros
- Onchain paid memberships for group chats
- End-to-end encrypted messages
- Protocol code public on GitHub
Cons
- Staking yield on the token page is marked as variable
- Featured groups center on trading and money topics
- Fees route to TOWNS buy and burn, so costs track that token
Skip it if you want a public feed: Towns is built around group chats.
Minds is an open-source social network with code on GitLab. Creators earn the MINDS token on Ethereum and spend it on Boosts, tips and memberships, and it interoperates with ActivityPub and Nostr.
- Chains
- Ethereum
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Token
- MINDS (Ethereum)
- Open source
- Yes, public repositories on GitLab
- Chains
- Ethereum
Pros
- Source code public on GitLab
- Tokens can stay off-chain with no fees, or move to a self-custody wallet on Plus or Pro
- Interoperates with ActivityPub and Nostr
Cons
- Token rewards tie reach to paid Boosts
- On-chain token use requires Ethereum gas
- The about page footer still shows 2023
Skip it if you dislike paid reach: MINDS rewards tie visibility to paid Boosts.
Not on this list
Bluesky: a decentralized social network, but not built on a blockchain or crypto accounts.
Paragraph: its site now presents an AI publishing agent for startups, not a web3 social app.
Web3 Social Apps compared
Select a name to jump to its review.
| Name | Best for | US availability | Fees | Chains | Token |
|---|
| Farcaster | Portable account and feed | Available in the US | $7 per storage unit per year | Ethereum addresses; accounts registered onchain | Not verified |
|---|
| Lens | Onchain graph, many apps | Available: terms restrict only sanctioned jurisdictions | Gas paid in GHO stablecoin; apps can sponsor gas; posting needs no GHO, collecting posts does | Lens Chain (Layer 2 on zkSync ZK Stack) | GHO stablecoin is the Lens Chain gas token |
|---|
| Zora | Posts that trade as coins | Available in the US: its referral program is open only to users located in the US | 1% on creator and content coins; 0.01% on trend coins | Base, Robinhood Chain and Solana | ZORA |
|---|
| Orb | Lens on your phone | Yes, listed in the US App Store | Not verified | Lens Chain | Not verified |
|---|
| Towns | Paid group chats on Base | Yes, listed in the US App Store | Paid memberships carry a protocol fee; free Spaces pay none on joins or renewals; member tips carry a separate protocol fee | Base, plus its own Towns Chain | TOWNS |
|---|
| Minds | Open code, token rewards | Available in the US | Boost promotion paid in cash, Minds+ or Pro credits, or tokens; upgrades billed at the listed price | Ethereum | MINDS (Ethereum) |
|---|
“Not verified” means we could not confirm the value on the project’s own pages.
How we rank Web3 social apps
- 01Posting cost: what an account pays to post or store data, from the project's docs.
- 02Portability: whether your account and followers move between apps.
- 03Open code: whether the protocol or app code is public.
- 04US access: listed in the US App Store, where a mobile app exists.
No project paid to be listed or ranked. Full rules: methodology.
What we did not test
- We did not open accounts, deposit money or place trades with these services.
- We did not audit smart contracts, reserves or security claims ourselves; we report what the project and its auditors publish.
- Fees, limits and availability change; the list date shows when we last checked them.
Rubric last updated Oct 1, 2026. Crypto assets are not insured by the FDIC or SIPC, and you can lose all the money you put in. This page is educational content, not financial advice.
How to choose
01Protocols vs apps
Farcaster and Lens are protocols; you use them through apps. Orb, Hey and Firefly all read the same Lens account, so switching apps keeps your followers.
02Budget for storage
Farcaster charges $7 per storage unit per year for up to 5,000 casts. If storage lapses past a 30-day grace period, messages can be lost.
03Know when posts become assets
On Zora, posts are coins that others can trade. Creators earn from the 1% fee, but the value of rewards moves with the ZORA token.
Who should skip all of these
- Anyone who wants a network without crypto accounts: Bluesky or Mastodon fit better.
- Users who cannot manage a wallet or recovery phrase.
Bottom line
Start with Farcaster or Lens so your followers are not locked to one app.
Pick Zora or Towns only if you want posts or groups to carry money.
Educational content, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile; do your own research.
FAQ
What is the best web3 social app?
±
Farcaster for most people: accounts are onchain, move between apps and cost $7 a year for a storage unit of up to 5,000 casts.
Is Bluesky a web3 app?
±
No. Bluesky is decentralized, but it does not run on a blockchain or use crypto wallets, so it is not on this list.
Does Lens cost money to use?
±
You can post without holding GHO, per the Lens FAQ. Collecting posts requires GHO on Lens Chain.
Farcaster or Lens?
±
Both let one account work across several apps. Farcaster accounts are registered through contracts on OP Mainnet, and a $7 storage unit covers a year and up to 5,000 casts. Lens runs on its own Layer 2, Lens Chain, and posting needs no GHO; only collecting posts does.
How do creators earn on Zora?
±
Every profile and post on Zora is a coin, and creator and content coins carry a 1% trading fee. On coins from version 2.2.0, 50% of that fee goes to the creator; the rest is split among referrers, the protocol, Doppler and locked liquidity. In the first 10 seconds after launch a sniper tax starts at 99%.
What changed in this list
2026-09-26First version: 6 web3 social apps, posting costs and portability checked on each project's own pages.
2026-10-01Added FAQs comparing Farcaster and Lens and explaining how creators earn on Zora.
Who made this page
✓
Fact check
Checked against 7 sourcesLast check: Oct 1, 2026
A value we could not confirm on the project’s own pages is marked “Not verified” instead of estimated.
How we review