Discourse vs Endurain

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?
FeatureDiscourseEndurain
CategorySocial NetworksSocial Networks
LicenseGPL-2.0free
LanguageRubyPython
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 47,619★ 2,130
First released20132022
ReplacesphpBB, Reddit

Why pick each one

Choose Discourse if…

  • Polished modern UI
  • Strong moderation tools
Discourse details

Choose Endurain if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
Endurain details

Frequently asked questions

Is Discourse or Endurain better?

Neither is universally better. Discourse has the larger community, while Endurain is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Discourse and Endurain free and open-source?

Yes. Discourse is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Endurain under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Discourse and Endurain with Docker?

Discourse: yes. Endurain: yes.

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