Friendica vs Hollo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Friendica
Decentralized social network with broad federation
VS
Hollo
Single-user federated microblogging server
| Feature | Friendica | Hollo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,690 | ★ 489 |
| First released | 2010 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Friendica and Hollo?
Friendica
Friendica is a free, open-source decentralized social network. It connects to the fediverse and other networks, offering a Facebook-style experience with groups, photos, and events.
- Federates with many networks
- Groups and forums
- Photo albums and events
- Addon system
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
Friendica vs Hollo: key differences
Friendica is written in PHP, while Hollo is built with TypeScript. Friendica is the more established project (first released 2010), while Hollo arrived in 2024. Friendica has the considerably larger community, at 1,690 GitHub stars versus 489.
Why pick each one
Choose Friendica if…
- Connects to multiple protocols
- Facebook-like experience
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Smaller user base
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 Friendica or Hollo better?
Neither is universally better. Friendica has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Friendica and Hollo free and open-source?
Yes. Friendica is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Hollo under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Friendica and Hollo with Docker?
Friendica: yes. Hollo: yes.