Friendiqa Hub vs Loops
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Loops
Federated short video sharing platform
| Feature | Friendiqa Hub | Loops |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 350 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 130 | ★ 455 |
| First released | 2019 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Instagram, Flickr | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube |
What are Friendiqa Hub and Loops?
Friendiqa Hub
PeerTube-adjacent social discovery is provided by Anfora, a federated, open-source photo gallery and microblog focused on image sharing across the fediverse via ActivityPub.
- Federated photo sharing
- ActivityPub support
- Image-focused timeline
- Tagging and discovery
Loops
The federated short video sharing platform. Contribute to joinloops/loops-server development by creating an account on GitHub.
Friendiqa Hub vs Loops: key differences
Friendiqa Hub is written in Python, while Loops is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Friendiqa Hub versus AGPL-3.0-or-later for Loops. Loops is the lighter option, starting around 350 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Friendiqa Hub. Friendiqa Hub is the more established project (first released 2019), while Loops arrived in 2025. Loops has the considerably larger community, at 455 GitHub stars versus 130. Friendiqa Hub lists first-class Docker deployment; Loops does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Friendiqa Hub if…
- Image-first fediverse app
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Very small project
- Limited maintenance
Choose Loops if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 350 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Friendiqa Hub or Loops better?
Neither is universally better. Loops has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Friendiqa Hub and Loops free and open-source?
Yes. Friendiqa Hub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Loops under AGPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Friendiqa Hub and Loops with Docker?
Friendiqa Hub: yes. Loops: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Friendiqa Hub or Loops?
Loops has the smaller minimum footprint at 350 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Friendiqa Hub. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.