Shapado vs Scoold
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Shapado
Open-source question and answer community software
VS
Scoold
Self-hosted Q&A platform and Stack Overflow alternative
| Feature | Shapado | Scoold |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 527 | ★ 920 |
| First released | 2009 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Stack Overflow, Quora | Stack Overflow |
Why pick each one
Choose Shapado if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Ruby
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Scoold if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Shapado or Scoold better?
Scoold is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Shapado if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Shapado and Scoold free and open-source?
Yes. Shapado is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Scoold under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shapado and Scoold with Docker?
Shapado: check the project docs for container support. Scoold: yes.