Calmer by design
Built for presence and coordination — not distraction.
Community-first
Designed for groups, associations, and local networks.
Private and respectful
Without ads, manipulative feeds, or surveillance.
Notifications
Stay informed without staying online
Joining a community usually means taking on another stream of interruptions. Turning everything off means missing the thing that mattered. Neither is much of a choice. The aim here is not to send more, or to send less, but for every member to trust that what reaches them is worth reading.
- Settings come grouped, so most people can set them once and get on with their day.
- Every setting stays adjustable on its own, for anyone who wants the detail.
- Preferences are per circle — the board can reach you without the swap group doing the same.
- Choose immediate or grouped updates, wherever the type of message supports it.
- Every email carries a direct way to switch off that kind of message, without hunting for a setting.
What you can do
Everything your community needs, in one place
Six things most communities end up spreading across four different tools.
Circles
Focused spaces for committees, working groups, shared interests and whole communities.
Read moreEvents
Gatherings with the practical details, who is coming, a reminder the day before, and the conversation that goes with them.
Read morePolls
Ask the group a question and make it easy to answer, without turning it into a long thread.
Posts and conversations
Updates and discussion stay in the circle they belong to, where the people they concern will find them.
Newsletters and digests
Curate what the community has already written into an edition people can follow without being present every day.
Read moreNotification control
Members choose the kind and the pace of what reaches them, circle by circle.
Features
Features that respect your community
A calm digital space for conversation, coordination, and updates.
Circles
Create focused spaces for groups, committees, and shared interests - so everyone stays connected and organized.
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Create circles — for groups, committees, and shared interests
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Organize within a shared structure — let circles stand alone or group them within an organization
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Unite membership and oversight — ideal for communities with multiple subgroups
Newsletters & digests
Keep members informed with curated updates built from the community’s own content.
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Turn community posts and events into curated newsletters — effortlessly
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Let an editor curate — select, moderate, and send updates at the right pace
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Set a calmer pace — so everyone can stay informed without constant interruptions
Who is it for?
Built for real communities
From local groups to member organizations — Zen Social adapts to your everyday reality.
Local communities, Ecovillages and cohousing
Share news, coordinShare news, coordinate everyday life, and keep in touch with the people who live around you.ate initiatives, and make daily life easier for everyone.
Associations and clubs
Bring members, messages, events, and working groups together - all in one place.
Volunteer communities
Create clarity and focus, without drowning in noise, threads, or platform-hopping.
Schools and parent groups
A calmer space for practical updates, shared planning, and events - without the clutter.
Creative communities
Organize exhibitions, workshops, courses, and collaborative projects - seamlessly.
How it works
Get started in minutes
Three simple steps to a calmer digital community.
Start with your community
Create a space that fits the way you want to be together.
Invite the people who belong
Make it easy to join — including for people who do not live on social media.
Keep the connection alive
Share updates, coordinate everyday life, and create more calm around communication.
Start with your community
Create a space that fits the way you want to be together.
Invite the people who belong
Make it easy to join — including for people who do not live on social media.
Keep the connection alive
Share updates, coordinate everyday life, and create more calm around communication.
Mission and vision
Why Zen Social exists
Zen Social is created to help people and communities communicate, coordinate, and care for one another through independent digital infrastructure - designed for a life that extends beyond the screen.
We work for a world where people and communities use digital technology to deepen solidarity, shared agency, and care for all life - creating the conditions for communities, relationships, and ecosystems to regenerate, rather than reinforcing separation, exploitation, and the concentration of power.
We have signed the Sustainable Software Manifesto, and let it inform our work around wellbeing, inclusion, data sovereignty, transparency, and long-term responsibility.
Read our mission, vision, and commitment to shared stewardship.
Human wellbeing first
The business model should align with the interests of users and communities.
Data with respect
Users should have control over their own data, with open standards and connection to other platforms.
Transparent mechanisms
Algorithms and recommendations should be understandable, and it should be possible to opt out of them.
More inclusive
People should be able to keep up in different ways — including by email and without constant presence.
Long-term design
The platform should remain usable over time, including on older phones and simpler devices.
Community at the center
We prioritize tools that build community and mutual support—not individual spotlighting.
Communities already getting started
Zen Social is a new platform already being explored and adopted by communities that want calmer and more human digital spaces.
“We chose Zen Social for its friendlier, more inclusive tools - especially for our older members -so we can communicate without losing touch with real life.”
“Zen Social’s focus on community over attention grabbed us. We’re excited to invite our first members and grow together.”
“We use Zen Social for our members — one circle per local branch. We see it as a strong alternative to Meta's platforms, and one that fits KBHFF and our values well.”
Part of a wider European effort
Rebuild
Zen Social is a participant in Rebuild, the initiative connecting people building the next generation of European social platforms.
Nordic Media Lab
Zen Social is a member of Nordic Media Lab, the alliance helping entrepreneurs build ethical technology and shared digital infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Zen Social available on mobile?
- Zen Social works in any browser and installs to your home screen like an app, with real notifications — so a member can take part from a link, before installing anything. Native apps are on the way.
- How does Zen Social prevent notification overload?
- Settings come grouped so they can be set quickly, then adjusted individually if you want the detail. Preferences are per circle, and every email carries a direct way to switch off that kind of message. The aim is that what reaches you is worth reading.
- Can our community move gradually from Facebook or another tool?
- Yes, and most do. Communities usually start with one circle — a newsletter, a committee, or the people who were hardest to reach where they were — and move more across as it suits them. Nothing has to happen at once.
- Who owns and controls community data?
- Your community's content belongs to your community. We do not track members, build advertising profiles, or pass anything to data brokers. Members can delete their account and content from within the app.
- Is Zen Social free to use?
- Yes — every feature, for every community, and there is currently no way to pay us even if you would like to. How Zen Social is paid for sets out where that is heading.
- Can a circle define its own rules?
- Yes. Each circle can write its own guidelines, and adopt the Zen Social netiquette as a starting point rather than drafting from nothing. Circle rules cannot override the Terms of Service or applicable law.