Flarum vs lemmyBB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Flarum | lemmyBB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,739 | ★ 199 |
| First released | 2015 | 2023 |
| Replaces | phpBB, vBulletin | Reddit, phpBB |
Why pick each one
Choose lemmyBB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Flarum or lemmyBB better?
Neither is universally better. Flarum has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Flarum and lemmyBB free and open-source?
Yes. Flarum is licensed under MIT and lemmyBB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Flarum and lemmyBB with Docker?
Flarum: yes. lemmyBB: yes.