Elk vs Soapbox
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?
| Feature | Elk | Soapbox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,027 | ★ 700 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter app | Twitter app |
Why pick each one
Choose Elk if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Choose Soapbox if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Elk or Soapbox better?
Elk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Soapbox if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Elk and Soapbox free and open-source?
Yes. Elk is licensed under MIT and Soapbox under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Elk and Soapbox with Docker?
Elk: check the project docs for container support. Soapbox: check the project docs for container support.