Akkoma vs Bridgy Fed
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Akkoma
Feature-rich fediverse server forked from Pleroma
VS
Bridgy Fed
Bridge connecting IndieWeb sites to the fediverse
| Feature | Akkoma | Bridgy Fed |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Unlicense |
| Language | Elixir | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 1,238 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Tumblr |
What are Akkoma and Bridgy Fed?
Akkoma
Akkoma is a free, open-source fediverse microblogging server forked from Pleroma. It focuses on customization, additional features, and a friendly community while staying lightweight.
- Pleroma-compatible fediverse server
- Extensive customization options
- Mastodon API support
- Bubble timeline feature
Bridgy Fed
Bridgy Fed connects personal websites that use IndieWeb standards to the fediverse and the rest of the social web. It translates webmentions and ActivityPub so different networks can interact.
- Connects IndieWeb to fediverse
- Webmention translation
- ActivityPub bridging
- Cross-network interaction
Akkoma vs Bridgy Fed: key differences
Akkoma is written in Elixir, while Bridgy Fed is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Akkoma versus Unlicense for Bridgy Fed. Bridgy Fed is the more established project (first released 2017), while Akkoma arrived in 2022. Bridgy Fed has the considerably larger community, at 1,238 GitHub stars versus 400. Akkoma lists first-class Docker deployment; Bridgy Fed does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Akkoma if…
- Lots of configuration options
- Lightweight footprint
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Hosted on a niche forge
Choose Bridgy Fed if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Akkoma or Bridgy Fed better?
Neither is universally better. Bridgy Fed has the larger community, while Akkoma is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Akkoma and Bridgy Fed free and open-source?
Yes. Akkoma is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Bridgy Fed under Unlicense. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Akkoma and Bridgy Fed with Docker?
Akkoma: yes. Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support.