Firefish vs Hollo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Hollo
Single-user federated microblogging server
| Feature | Firefish | Hollo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,300 | ★ 489 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Firefish and Hollo?
Firefish
Firefish is an open-source, decentralized social media platform built on ActivityPub with extensive interface customization. It includes a built-in post translator, reactions, and a flexible timeline.
- Highly customizable UI
- Post reactions
- Built-in translation
- Federated timelines
Hollo
Hollo is a federated single-user microblogging server compatible with the Mastodon client API. It is designed for individuals who want their own ActivityPub presence without running a multi-user instance.
- Single-user microblog
- Mastodon API compatible
- ActivityPub federation
- Markdown posts
Firefish vs Hollo: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Hollo is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Firefish. Firefish is the more established project (first released 2022), while Hollo arrived in 2024. Firefish has the considerably larger community, at 1,300 GitHub stars versus 489.
Why pick each one
Choose Firefish if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Hollo if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefish or Hollo better?
Neither is universally better. Firefish has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Firefish and Hollo free and open-source?
Yes. Firefish is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Hollo under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefish and Hollo with Docker?
Firefish: yes. Hollo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Firefish or Hollo?
Hollo has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Firefish. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.