Epicyon vs ActivityPub for WordPress
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Epicyon | ActivityPub for WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 583 |
| First released | 2019 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Medium |
What are Epicyon and ActivityPub for WordPress?
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
ActivityPub for WordPress
The ActivityPub plugin lets a self-hosted WordPress site federate with the fediverse, so people can follow blog posts from Mastodon and other ActivityPub software. It also delivers comments back as replies.
- Federates WordPress posts
- Follow blogs from Mastodon
- Comments as replies
- Official Automattic plugin
Epicyon vs ActivityPub for WordPress: key differences
Epicyon is written in Python, while ActivityPub for WordPress is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Epicyon versus MIT for ActivityPub for WordPress.
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 ActivityPub for WordPress if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Epicyon or ActivityPub for WordPress better?
ActivityPub for WordPress 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 ActivityPub for WordPress free and open-source?
Yes. Epicyon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ActivityPub for WordPress under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Epicyon and ActivityPub for WordPress with Docker?
Epicyon: check the project docs for container support. ActivityPub for WordPress: check the project docs for container support.