Akkoma vs Firefish
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
Firefish
Customizable fediverse microblogging platform
| Feature | Akkoma | Firefish |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 1,300 |
| First released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Tumblr | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Akkoma and Firefish?
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
Firefish
Firefish is an open-source, decentralized social media platform built on ActivityPub with extensive interface customization. It includes a built-in post translator, reactions, and a flexible timeline.
- Highly customizable UI
- Post reactions
- Built-in translation
- Federated timelines
Akkoma vs Firefish: key differences
Akkoma is written in Elixir, while Firefish is built with TypeScript. Akkoma is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Firefish. Firefish has the considerably larger community, at 1,300 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 Firefish if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Akkoma or Firefish better?
Neither is universally better. Firefish has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Akkoma and Firefish free and open-source?
Yes. Akkoma is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Firefish under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Akkoma and Firefish with Docker?
Akkoma: yes. Firefish: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Akkoma or Firefish?
Akkoma has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Firefish. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.