Crab Fit vs Framadate
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Framadate
Online polling and meeting scheduling tool
| Feature | Crab Fit | Framadate |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | MIT | CECILL-B |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 531 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2020 | 2011 |
| Replaces | When2meet, Doodle | Doodle |
What are Crab Fit and Framadate?
Crab Fit
Crab Fit is an open-source scheduling tool that helps groups find a time to meet by overlaying everyone's availability. Participants mark free slots without registering, and a heatmap reveals the best overlap, similar to When2meet.
- Availability heatmap
- No registration required
- Group time-finding
Framadate
Framadate is an online service for planning appointments or making decisions quickly and easily. Developed by Framasoft, it lets groups vote on dates and options without registration.
- Date and decision polls
- No account required
- Part of the Framasoft suite
Crab Fit vs Framadate: key differences
Crab Fit is written in TypeScript, while Framadate is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Crab Fit versus CECILL-B for Framadate. Framadate is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Crab Fit. Framadate is the more established project (first released 2011), while Crab Fit arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Crab Fit if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Framadate if…
- Released under the CECILL-B license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Crab Fit or Framadate better?
Neither is universally better. Framadate has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Crab Fit and Framadate free and open-source?
Yes. Crab Fit is licensed under MIT and Framadate under CECILL-B. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Crab Fit and Framadate with Docker?
Crab Fit: yes. Framadate: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Crab Fit or Framadate?
Framadate has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Crab Fit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.