dashdot vs Mafl
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | dashdot | Mafl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,547 | ★ 756 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Heimdall | Heimdall |
What are dashdot and Mafl?
dashdot
dashdot is a simple, modern server dashboard that displays live system resource usage like CPU, memory, storage, and network. It targets users wanting a clean overview of one machine. It is deployed via Docker.
- Live CPU, RAM and storage graphs
- Clean modern interface
- Network and OS info
- Single-container deploy
Mafl
Mafl is a minimalist, easy-to-use start page that organizes services and apps using a single YAML configuration. It targets users who want a tidy, simple home page. It is deployed via Docker.
- Single YAML configuration
- Service status checks
- Light and dark themes
- Lightweight footprint
dashdot vs Mafl: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Mafl is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for dashdot. Dashdot has the considerably larger community, at 3,547 GitHub stars versus 756.
Why pick each one
Choose dashdot if…
- Attractive design
- Lightweight
- Zero config
Watch out for
- Single host only
- Resource view, not app launcher
Choose Mafl if…
- Clean minimal design
- Easy config
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Few advanced features
- Small community
Frequently asked questions
Is dashdot or Mafl better?
Neither is universally better. dashdot has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are dashdot and Mafl free and open-source?
Yes. dashdot is licensed under MIT and Mafl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run dashdot and Mafl with Docker?
dashdot: yes. Mafl: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, dashdot or Mafl?
Mafl has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for dashdot. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.