Epicyon vs Phanpy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Phanpy
Minimalistic opinionated Fediverse ⁂ web client
| Feature | Epicyon | Phanpy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 100 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 1,492 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads |
What are Epicyon and Phanpy?
Epicyon
Epicyon is a modern, minimalist ActivityPub server designed to be lightweight, accessible, and easy to run on small hardware. It focuses on a no-JavaScript interface and strong moderation controls.
- No-JavaScript interface
- Runs on small servers
- Strong moderation tools
- Accessible by design
Phanpy
Minimalistic opinionated Fediverse ⁂ web client.
Epicyon vs Phanpy: key differences
Epicyon is written in Python, while Phanpy is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Epicyon versus MIT for Phanpy. Phanpy is the lighter option, starting around 100 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Epicyon. Epicyon is the more established project (first released 2019), while Phanpy arrived in 2024. Phanpy has the considerably larger community, at 1,492 GitHub stars versus 300.
Why pick each one
Choose Epicyon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Phanpy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Epicyon or Phanpy better?
Phanpy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Epicyon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Epicyon and Phanpy free and open-source?
Yes. Epicyon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Phanpy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Epicyon and Phanpy with Docker?
Epicyon: check the project docs for container support. Phanpy: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Epicyon or Phanpy?
Phanpy has the smaller minimum footprint at 100 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Epicyon. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.