Fedify vs Pleroma
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Pleroma
Lightweight fediverse microblogging server
| Feature | Fedify | Pleroma |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,026 | ★ 2,200 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Tumblr |
What are Fedify and Pleroma?
Fedify
Fedify is a TypeScript framework for building ActivityPub-based federated server applications. It handles the protocol details so developers can create new fediverse software more easily.
- ActivityPub server framework
- Handles federation protocol
- TypeScript and Deno support
- Powers fediverse apps
Pleroma
Pleroma is a lightweight, free, open-source social networking server compatible with the fediverse. It implements ActivityPub and the Mastodon API while using fewer resources than Mastodon.
- ActivityPub federation
- Mastodon API compatible
- Low resource footprint
- Multiple frontends supported
Fedify vs Pleroma: key differences
Fedify is written in TypeScript, while Pleroma is built with Elixir. Licensing differs — MIT for Fedify versus AGPL-3.0 for Pleroma. Fedify is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Pleroma. Pleroma is the more established project (first released 2017), while Fedify arrived in 2024. Pleroma has the considerably larger community, at 2,200 GitHub stars versus 1,026. Pleroma lists first-class Docker deployment; Fedify does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Fedify if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Pleroma if…
- Runs on small servers
- Compatible with Mastodon apps
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Less polished admin tools
Frequently asked questions
Is Fedify or Pleroma better?
Neither is universally better. Pleroma has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Fedify and Pleroma free and open-source?
Yes. Fedify is licensed under MIT and Pleroma under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fedify and Pleroma with Docker?
Fedify: check the project docs for container support. Pleroma: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Fedify or Pleroma?
Fedify has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Pleroma. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.