Fedify vs snac
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Fedify | snac |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,026 | ★ 900 |
| First released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Fedify and snac?
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
snac
snac is a minimalist, lightweight ActivityPub instance server written in C with very low resource requirements. It implements the core fediverse features without a database or heavy runtime.
- Tiny C implementation
- No database needed
- ActivityPub federation
- Runs on minimal hardware
Fedify vs snac: key differences
Fedify is written in TypeScript, while snac is built with C. Snac is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Fedify. Snac is the more established project (first released 2022), while Fedify arrived in 2024.
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 snac if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Fedify or snac better?
Neither is universally better. Fedify has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Fedify and snac free and open-source?
Yes. Fedify is licensed under MIT and snac under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fedify and snac with Docker?
Fedify: check the project docs for container support. snac: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Fedify or snac?
snac has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Fedify. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.