diaspora* vs Epicyon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | diaspora* | Epicyon |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,649 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2010 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are diaspora* and Epicyon?
diaspora*
diaspora* is a free, open-source, privacy-aware decentralized social network. It is organized into independently operated pods that federate, giving users ownership of their data.
- Federated pod network
- Aspects for sharing control
- Hashtag-based discovery
- Data ownership focus
Epicyon
Epicyon is a modern, minimalist ActivityPub server designed to be lightweight, accessible, and easy to run on small hardware. It focuses on a no-JavaScript interface and strong moderation controls.
- No-JavaScript interface
- Runs on small servers
- Strong moderation tools
- Accessible by design
diaspora* vs Epicyon: key differences
Diaspora* is written in Ruby, while Epicyon is built with Python. Epicyon is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Diaspora* is the more established project (first released 2010), while Epicyon arrived in 2019. Diaspora* has the considerably larger community, at 13,649 GitHub stars versus 300. Diaspora* lists first-class Docker deployment; Epicyon does not.
Why pick each one
Choose diaspora* if…
- Strong privacy ethos
- Established network
Watch out for
- Limited fediverse interoperability
- Slower development
Choose Epicyon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is diaspora* or Epicyon better?
Neither is universally better. diaspora* has the larger community, while Epicyon is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are diaspora* and Epicyon free and open-source?
Yes. diaspora* is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Epicyon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run diaspora* and Epicyon with Docker?
diaspora*: yes. Epicyon: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, diaspora* or Epicyon?
Epicyon has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.