Friendica vs Smithereen
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
Smithereen
Federated social network with a familiar layout
| Feature | Friendica | Smithereen |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,690 | ★ 546 |
| First released | 2010 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Facebook, VK |
What are Friendica and Smithereen?
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
Smithereen
Smithereen is a federated, ActivityPub-powered social network whose interface is inspired by classic social media layouts. It supports friends, walls, photo albums, and groups across the fediverse.
- Classic social layout
- Friend and wall model
- Photo albums
- Fediverse groups
Friendica vs Smithereen: key differences
Friendica is written in PHP, while Smithereen is built with Java. Friendica is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Smithereen. Friendica is the more established project (first released 2010), while Smithereen arrived in 2020. Friendica has the considerably larger community, at 1,690 GitHub stars versus 546.
Why pick each one
Choose Friendica if…
- Connects to multiple protocols
- Facebook-like experience
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Smaller user base
Choose Smithereen if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Friendica or Smithereen 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 Smithereen free and open-source?
Yes. Friendica is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Smithereen under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Friendica and Smithereen with Docker?
Friendica: yes. Smithereen: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Friendica or Smithereen?
Friendica has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Smithereen. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.