Catodon 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?
Catodon
Community-driven fork of the Iceshrimp fediverse server
VS
Discourse
Modern open-source community discussion platform
| Feature | Catodon | Discourse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 30 | ★ 47,619 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | phpBB, Reddit |
Why pick each one
Choose Catodon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Catodon or Discourse better?
Discourse is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Catodon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Catodon and Discourse free and open-source?
Yes. Catodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Discourse under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Catodon and Discourse with Docker?
Catodon: yes. Discourse: yes.