Bridgy Fed vs Fedify
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bridgy Fed | Fedify |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Unlicense | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,238 | ★ 1,026 |
| First released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Replaces |
What are Bridgy Fed and Fedify?
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
Fedify
Fedify is a TypeScript framework for building ActivityPub-based federated server applications. It handles the protocol details so developers can create new fediverse software more easily.
- ActivityPub server framework
- Handles federation protocol
- TypeScript and Deno support
- Powers fediverse apps
Bridgy Fed vs Fedify: key differences
Bridgy Fed is written in Python, while Fedify is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Unlicense for Bridgy Fed versus MIT for Fedify. Fedify is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Bridgy Fed. Bridgy Fed is the more established project (first released 2017), while Fedify arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Bridgy Fed if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Fedify if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bridgy Fed or Fedify better?
Neither is universally better. Bridgy Fed has the larger community, while Fedify is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bridgy Fed and Fedify free and open-source?
Yes. Bridgy Fed is licensed under Unlicense and Fedify under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bridgy Fed and Fedify with Docker?
Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support. Fedify: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bridgy Fed or Fedify?
Fedify has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Bridgy Fed. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.