Time to free your professional data
The LinkedIn alternative that gives you your data back
Your career history, skills, and endorsements live in your own data account -- not on someone else's servers. Portable, verifiable, and yours to keep. Built in the Netherlands, hosted in Germany, funded by no one but ourselves.
Quick comparison
| Sifa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Your data | Stored on LinkedIn's servers | Stored in your own data account |
| Profile portability | Not portable to other services | Portable to any compatible app |
| Cost | Free + paid tiers from $30/month | Free, no paid tiers |
| Ads and tracking | Activity tracked for advertising | No tracking, no ads |
| Headquarters and hosting | Microsoft (US). EU data centers available, but US parent company and US law apply. | Netherlands (company) + Germany (servers). No US parent entity. EU law only. |
Full comparison
| Sifa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Your data | Stored on LinkedIn's servers. You can export a copy, but the live profile and its network context stay behind. | Stored in your own data account. Move it, delete it, or take it to another app anytime. |
| Profile portability | Leave LinkedIn, lose your live profile. The export is a static archive, not a working profile. | Take your profile to any compatible app. If Sifa disappears, your data doesn't. |
| Sign-in | One LinkedIn account, one platform. LinkedIn decides if you keep access. | Sign in with your Bluesky account (or any AT Protocol account). No Sifa-specific signup. |
| Algorithm | LinkedIn's algorithm controls your feed and who sees your profile in search. Optimized for engagement. | No algorithmic feed. Your profile is publicly searchable by default. |
| Privacy | Activity tracked for Microsoft's advertising network. US-headquartered, subject to US data laws. | No tracking, no ads, no third-party data sharing. EU-hosted (Hetzner, Germany). Cookieless analytics (Umami, self-hosted in the Netherlands). |
| Jurisdiction | Owned by Microsoft (US). Your data is subject to US jurisdiction, including potential government access under CLOUD Act. EU data residency available but processing still governed by a US parent company. | Built and operated from the Netherlands. All infrastructure in the EU (Germany). No US parent company. GDPR is our baseline, not an afterthought. |
| Endorsements | Endorsements from people who may never have seen your work. No verification of the relationship. | Endorsements require mutual confirmation. Each includes context about how the endorser knows your work. |
| Profile views | "Who viewed your profile" requires Premium ($30/month). | Free, with a mutual privacy model (you see views only if you also share yours). |
| Cost | Free tier with persistent upselling. Premium starts at ~$30/month. | Free. No premium tiers. No upselling. |
| Source code | Proprietary, closed source. | Source-available on GitHub. Professional profile data standards are MIT-licensed. |
| Cross-app activity | Shows activity within LinkedIn only. | Shows your activity across the open social web: Bluesky posts, code contributions, blog posts, event attendance. |
An honest take
LinkedIn has a billion members, two decades of recruiter tooling, and a job marketplace we haven't built yet. We're not trying to replace all of that. Sifa exists for a different reason: to give you a professional identity that isn't controlled by a platform. Many people maintain both -- and that's fine. Two things LinkedIn does that Sifa doesn't yet: a job board and company pages. Both are on the roadmap.
When LinkedIn is the better choice
- You're actively job hunting and need recruiter inbox access
- Your industry's hiring happens primarily on LinkedIn
- You need company pages or LinkedIn Learning
- Your entire professional network is on LinkedIn with no interest in moving
Your profile works everywhere
Your Sifa profile is a public, SEO-indexed page that works independently -- even if nobody else is on Sifa. Embed it on your personal website, your conference speaker page, or your team directory with a single line of code. Already on LinkedIn? Import your career history in 2 minutes and own it from here on.
Endorsements with verified context
Each Sifa endorsement records how the endorser knows your work: "worked together at [company]", "collaborated in [community]", "co-authored [project]". Both sides confirm before it appears on your profile. No more meaningless +1s from strangers.
Built in Europe, not bolted on
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft and headquartered in the US. Even with EU data centers, your professional data is governed by a US parent company subject to the CLOUD Act. Sifa is built in the Netherlands, hosted in Germany, and has no US parent entity. We use EU-based or self-hosted services for everything -- analytics, error tracking, email. GDPR is not a compliance checkbox for us; it is how we build.
No paywalls, no algorithmic feed
Who viewed your profile? Free. Full search? Free. No "premium" tier, no InMail credits, no connection limits. Your profile is publicly findable. No algorithm decides who sees it.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I move my existing LinkedIn profile to Sifa?
- Yes. Export your LinkedIn data, upload the ZIP to Sifa, and your positions, education, and skills are imported in about 2 minutes. The ZIP is processed in your browser and never leaves your device.
- Does Sifa work if I still want to use LinkedIn?
- Yes. Sifa is an alternative, not a replacement. Many people maintain both. Your Sifa profile gives you a portable version of your professional identity that you control regardless of what happens on any platform.
- Is Sifa free?
- Yes. Profiles, search, endorsements, and profile analytics are all free. There are no premium tiers.
- What is a Personal Data Server?
- A Personal Data Server (PDS) is where your data lives on the AT Protocol -- the open standard behind Bluesky. Think of it as your own account that you control. You can move it between providers or even host it yourself.
- Where is my data stored?
- Your profile data is stored in your Personal Data Server, which you choose. Sifa's application servers are hosted by Hetzner in Germany, under EU data protection law.
- Is Sifa subject to US data laws?
- No. Sifa is operated from the Netherlands with servers in Germany. There is no US parent company. Your data is governed exclusively by EU law (GDPR). We use EU-based or self-hosted tools for all infrastructure -- no data flows to US services like Google Analytics, Cloudflare, or AWS.
- Does Sifa have a job board?
- Not yet. A job board integration is on the roadmap. Today, Sifa focuses on professional identity: your profile, endorsements, and cross-app activity.
Ready to own your professional identity?
Last updated: March 2026