diaspora* vs Fedify
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | diaspora* | Fedify |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,649 | ★ 1,026 |
| First released | 2010 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter |
What are diaspora* and Fedify?
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
Fedify
Fedify is a TypeScript framework for building ActivityPub-based federated server applications. It handles the protocol details so developers can create new fediverse software more easily.
- ActivityPub server framework
- Handles federation protocol
- TypeScript and Deno support
- Powers fediverse apps
diaspora* vs Fedify: key differences
Diaspora* is written in Ruby, while Fedify is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for diaspora* versus MIT for Fedify. Fedify 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 Fedify arrived in 2024. Diaspora* has the considerably larger community, at 13,649 GitHub stars versus 1,026. Diaspora* lists first-class Docker deployment; Fedify does not.
Why pick each one
Choose diaspora* if…
- Strong privacy ethos
- Established network
Watch out for
- Limited fediverse interoperability
- Slower development
Choose Fedify if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is diaspora* or Fedify better?
Neither is universally better. diaspora* has the larger community, while Fedify is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are diaspora* and Fedify free and open-source?
Yes. diaspora* is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Fedify under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run diaspora* and Fedify with Docker?
diaspora*: yes. Fedify: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, diaspora* or Fedify?
Fedify 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.