Friendica vs Zap
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?
Friendica
Decentralized social network with broad federation
VS
Zap
Decentralized social network with nomadic identity
| Feature | Friendica | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,680 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2010 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Twitter | Facebook, Twitter |
Why pick each one
Choose Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Friendica or Zap better?
Friendica is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Zap if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Friendica and Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Friendica is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Friendica and Zap with Docker?
Friendica: yes. Zap: check the project docs for container support.