Discourse vs Fizzy

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?
FeatureDiscourseFizzy
CategorySocial NetworksSocial Networks
LicenseGPL-2.0free
LanguageRubyRuby
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 47,619★ 8,038
First released20132022
ReplacesphpBB, Reddit

Why pick each one

Choose Discourse if…

  • Polished modern UI
  • Strong moderation tools
Discourse details

Choose Fizzy if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Mature project with 8k GitHub stars
Fizzy details

Frequently asked questions

Is Discourse or Fizzy better?

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

Are Discourse and Fizzy free and open-source?

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

Can I run Discourse and Fizzy with Docker?

Discourse: yes. Fizzy: yes.

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