Buddycloud vs Discourse
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?
Buddycloud
Federated XMPP-based social networking server
VS
Discourse
Modern open-source community discussion platform
| Feature | Buddycloud | Discourse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 70 | ★ 47,619 |
| First released | 2012 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Facebook Groups | phpBB, Reddit |
Why pick each one
Choose Buddycloud if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Buddycloud or Discourse better?
Discourse is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Buddycloud if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Buddycloud and Discourse free and open-source?
Yes. Buddycloud is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Discourse under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buddycloud and Discourse with Docker?
Buddycloud: check the project docs for container support. Discourse: yes.