Bridgy Fed vs Ktistec
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Bridgy Fed
Bridge connecting IndieWeb sites to the fediverse
VS
Ktistec
Single-user ActivityPub server in Crystal
| Feature | Bridgy Fed | Ktistec |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Unlicense | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Crystal |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,229 | ★ 435 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon |
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 Ktistec if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Crystal
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bridgy Fed or Ktistec better?
Neither is universally better. Bridgy Fed has the larger community, while Ktistec is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bridgy Fed and Ktistec free and open-source?
Yes. Bridgy Fed is licensed under Unlicense and Ktistec under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bridgy Fed and Ktistec with Docker?
Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support. Ktistec: check the project docs for container support.