Forte vs Zap
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Forte
open source ActivityPub/fediverse server
VS
Zap
Decentralized social network with nomadic identity
| Feature | Forte | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Unlicense | MIT |
| Language | PHP | |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2025 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Threads, Tumblr | Facebook, Twitter |
What are Forte and Zap?
Forte
open source ActivityPub/fediverse server.
Zap
Zap is a decentralized communications platform from the Hubzilla and Streams lineage that supports nomadic identity, letting accounts move between servers. It federates over multiple protocols including ActivityPub.
- Nomadic identity
- Multi-protocol federation
- Account portability
- Fine-grained permissions
Forte vs Zap: key differences
Licensing differs — Unlicense for Forte versus MIT for Zap. Forte is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Zap. Zap is the more established project (first released 2018), while Forte arrived in 2025.
Why pick each one
Choose Forte if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Forte or Zap better?
Neither is universally better. Zap has the larger community, while Forte is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Forte and Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Forte is licensed under Unlicense and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Forte and Zap with Docker?
Forte: check the project docs for container support. Zap: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Forte or Zap?
Forte has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Zap. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.