Ello vs. Facebook: Are You Willing to Switch?

You’ve probably seen ads running on websites, which you’ve been visiting, about people switching from Facebook to Ello. If you’ve shunned social media, you probably won’t give a snitch about it. But aren’t you just a tad curious? Sure, it’s a social network, but why is it better than Facebook, as what some people claim?

ello-grab-800x407

It used to be really private

Ello started out as an invitation-only social network, which means your posts and photos are available only to a limited few, and that’s really a few people. Since its popularity has grown, however, a public version has been created. So it’s likely to be similar to Facebook soon enough. But that’s where the similarity ends, however.

It is Ad-free

Ello does not sell ads and aren’t run by advertisers. The brains behind it are just a small group of artists and designers, no data miners or ad salespeople. What the website guarantees is that your data are kept safe, and not sold to third parties. Sounds good enough? Moreover, Ello is now a USA Public Benefit Corporation, which puts a lid on any ad or user data selling they might consider doing in the future.

0925_ello2

It keeps you in control

Unlike other social networks, you have the option whether or not to share your information. Although Ello collects data that is related to your visit, similar to most social media websites, you can opt out of sharing information. Here’s the thing, whatever data they collect—location, language, time spent on Ello, or referring website—is stripped out of anything that can be used to trace back to you. So even if you do share information, it will remain anonymous. While in its Beta state, Ello already has plenty of features, such as Notification Center, Blocking & Muting, Improved Error Handling and Simple Commenting. But is it better than Facebook? You be the judge.