diaspora* vs Hollo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Hollo
Single-user federated microblogging server
| Feature | diaspora* | Hollo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,649 | ★ 489 |
| First released | 2010 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are diaspora* and Hollo?
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
Hollo
Hollo is a federated single-user microblogging server compatible with the Mastodon client API. It is designed for individuals who want their own ActivityPub presence without running a multi-user instance.
- Single-user microblog
- Mastodon API compatible
- ActivityPub federation
- Markdown posts
diaspora* vs Hollo: key differences
Diaspora* is written in Ruby, while Hollo is built with TypeScript. Hollo is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Diaspora* is the more established project (first released 2010), while Hollo arrived in 2024. Diaspora* has the considerably larger community, at 13,649 GitHub stars versus 489.
Why pick each one
Choose diaspora* if…
- Strong privacy ethos
- Established network
Watch out for
- Limited fediverse interoperability
- Slower development
Choose Hollo if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is diaspora* or Hollo better?
Neither is universally better. diaspora* has the larger community, while Hollo is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are diaspora* and Hollo free and open-source?
Yes. diaspora* is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Hollo under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run diaspora* and Hollo with Docker?
diaspora*: yes. Hollo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, diaspora* or Hollo?
Hollo has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for diaspora*. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.