A European alternative to Facebook and Instagram
Leaving the American platforms isn't about finding a copy of the same app, but a place built differently. What 'European' actually means here.
Illustrative image · a calmer place within the European legal order
More and more people are taking a hard look at where their photos and family moments end up. Facebook and Instagram are American platforms that run on advertising and on capturing as much of your attention as possible. Those who want to leave usually aren't looking for an exact copy of that same app, but for a place that is built differently. A European alternative, in practice.
What 'European' means here
A European flag on the website says little. What counts is which legal order your photos fall under. At Ohhi your images sit on servers within the European Union, run under Dutch law, with no American company in between operating under different rules. We wrote earlier about what servers in Europe really mean.
Under the American CLOUD Act, the government can demand data from American companies even when that data physically sits in Europe.
That difference decides who can reach your images, and with what paperwork. So an alternative is only truly European when the company behind it falls within the European legal order too, not just the drives the photos are stored on.
Not an app that replaces all of Facebook
Let's be honest: Facebook and Instagram do a lot at once. Public reach, strangers looking on, an endless stream of content you don't know. We don't try to rebuild that part. Ohhi focuses on the piece that actually matters to most people: sharing photos and videos with the people you care about, and seeing their reactions.
What works differently
- No algorithm assembling your timeline. You see everything in order, not whatever a system holds your attention with longest. We wrote about why calm wins.
- No ads, and so no trade in your attention or your profile.
- Your photos are never used to train AI. We explained why we don't do that.
- Private by default: no searchable profiles, no strangers looking on.
Bringing your family along
An alternative only works if the people you want to reach are there too. That doesn't have to be a grand migration. With one plan for the whole family, parents, kids and grandparents are in at once, and you start with one shared moment instead of a farewell post.
A European alternative doesn't have to be bigger or louder than the American platforms. For family photos, calmer and private is often exactly enough. See the plans or create an account; there's always a free tier.
