Bridgy Fed vs Firefish
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 | Firefish |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Unlicense | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,238 | ★ 1,300 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Bridgy Fed and Firefish?
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
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
Bridgy Fed vs Firefish: key differences
Bridgy Fed is written in Python, while Firefish is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Unlicense for Bridgy Fed versus AGPL-3.0 for Firefish. Bridgy Fed is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Firefish. Bridgy Fed is the more established project (first released 2017), while Firefish arrived in 2022. Firefish lists first-class Docker deployment; Bridgy Fed does not.
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 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 Bridgy Fed or Firefish better?
Firefish is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Bridgy Fed if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bridgy Fed and Firefish free and open-source?
Yes. Bridgy Fed is licensed under Unlicense and Firefish under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bridgy Fed and Firefish with Docker?
Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support. Firefish: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bridgy Fed or Firefish?
Bridgy Fed 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.