Akkoma vs diaspora*
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
diaspora*
Privacy-focused decentralized social network
| Feature | Akkoma | diaspora* |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 13,649 |
| First released | 2022 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Tumblr | Facebook, Twitter |
What are Akkoma and diaspora*?
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
diaspora*
diaspora* is a free, open-source, privacy-aware decentralized social network. It is organized into independently operated pods that federate, giving users ownership of their data.
- Federated pod network
- Aspects for sharing control
- Hashtag-based discovery
- Data ownership focus
Akkoma vs diaspora*: key differences
Akkoma is written in Elixir, while diaspora* is built with Ruby. Akkoma is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Diaspora* is the more established project (first released 2010), while Akkoma arrived in 2022. Diaspora* has the considerably larger community, at 13,649 GitHub stars versus 400.
Why pick each one
Choose Akkoma if…
- Lots of configuration options
- Lightweight footprint
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Hosted on a niche forge
Choose diaspora* if…
- Strong privacy ethos
- Established network
Watch out for
- Limited fediverse interoperability
- Slower development
Frequently asked questions
Is Akkoma or diaspora* better?
Neither is universally better. diaspora* 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 diaspora* free and open-source?
Yes. Akkoma is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and diaspora* under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Akkoma and diaspora* with Docker?
Akkoma: yes. diaspora*: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Akkoma or diaspora*?
Akkoma has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.