SHSelfHostIndex

Bridgy Fed vs Pleroma

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?
BR Bridgy Fed Bridge connecting IndieWeb sites to the fediverse VS Pleroma Lightweight fediverse microblogging server
FeatureBridgy FedPleroma
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectUnder-an-hour setup
CategorySocial NetworksSocial Networks
LicenseUnlicenseAGPL-3.0
LanguagePythonElixir
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentsourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 1,238★ 2,200
First released20172017
ReplacesTwitterTwitter, Tumblr

What are Bridgy Fed and Pleroma?

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

Pleroma

Pleroma is a lightweight, free, open-source social networking server compatible with the fediverse. It implements ActivityPub and the Mastodon API while using fewer resources than Mastodon.

  • ActivityPub federation
  • Mastodon API compatible
  • Low resource footprint
  • Multiple frontends supported

Read the full Pleroma guide →

Bridgy Fed vs Pleroma: key differences

Bridgy Fed is written in Python, while Pleroma is built with Elixir. Licensing differs — Unlicense for Bridgy Fed versus AGPL-3.0 for Pleroma. Pleroma 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
Bridgy Fed details

Choose Pleroma if…

  • Runs on small servers
  • Compatible with Mastodon apps

Watch out for

  • Smaller community
  • Less polished admin tools
Pleroma details

Frequently asked questions

Is Bridgy Fed or Pleroma better?

Pleroma 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 Pleroma free and open-source?

Yes. Bridgy Fed is licensed under Unlicense and Pleroma under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Bridgy Fed and Pleroma with Docker?

Bridgy Fed: check the project docs for container support. Pleroma: yes.

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