Firefish vs Ktistec
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Firefish | Ktistec |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Crystal |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,300 | ★ 436 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Firefish and Ktistec?
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
Ktistec
Ktistec is a single-user ActivityPub server written in Crystal, designed to be easy to deploy and maintain. It provides a personal fediverse presence with a simple, self-contained runtime.
- Single-user design
- Self-contained runtime
- SQLite storage
- ActivityPub federation
Firefish vs Ktistec: key differences
Firefish is written in TypeScript, while Ktistec is built with Crystal. Ktistec is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Firefish. Ktistec is the more established project (first released 2020), while Firefish arrived in 2022. Firefish has the considerably larger community, at 1,300 GitHub stars versus 436. Firefish lists first-class Docker deployment; Ktistec does not.
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 Ktistec if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Crystal
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefish or Ktistec 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 Ktistec free and open-source?
Yes. Firefish is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Ktistec under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefish and Ktistec with Docker?
Firefish: yes. Ktistec: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Firefish or Ktistec?
Ktistec has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Firefish. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.