diaspora* vs GoToSocial
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?
diaspora*
Privacy-focused decentralized social network
VS
GoToSocial
Fast ActivityPub social network server
| Feature | diaspora* | GoToSocial |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Language | Ruby | |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 200 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,656 | — |
| First released | 2010 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Akkoma, Bluesky, Calckey |
Why pick each one
Choose GoToSocial if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 200 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is diaspora* or GoToSocial better?
Neither is universally better. diaspora* has the larger community, while GoToSocial is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are diaspora* and GoToSocial free and open-source?
Yes. diaspora* is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and GoToSocial under AGPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run diaspora* and GoToSocial with Docker?
diaspora*: yes. GoToSocial: check the project docs for container support.