Bridgy Fed vs Iceshrimp
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 | Iceshrimp |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,238 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Bridgy Fed and Iceshrimp?
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
Iceshrimp
Iceshrimp is a decentralized, ActivityPub-compatible microblogging server derived from Misskey with a focus on stability and reduced resource use. It offers a familiar fediverse experience with custom emoji and reactions.
- Misskey-compatible features
- Custom emoji reactions
- Lower resource usage
- ActivityPub federation
Bridgy Fed vs Iceshrimp: key differences
Bridgy Fed is written in Python, while Iceshrimp is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Unlicense for Bridgy Fed versus AGPL-3.0 for Iceshrimp. Bridgy Fed is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Bridgy Fed is the more established project (first released 2017), while Iceshrimp arrived in 2023. Bridgy Fed has the considerably larger community, at 1,238 GitHub stars versus 300. Iceshrimp 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 Iceshrimp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Bridgy Fed or Iceshrimp better?
Neither is universally better. Bridgy Fed has the larger community, while Iceshrimp is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bridgy Fed and Iceshrimp free and open-source?
Yes. Bridgy Fed is licensed under Unlicense and Iceshrimp under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bridgy Fed and Iceshrimp with Docker?
Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support. Iceshrimp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bridgy Fed or Iceshrimp?
Bridgy Fed has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.