Soft Serve vs Forgejo Runner
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted git hosting & forges options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Soft Serve
Self-hostable Git server for the command line
VS
Forgejo Runner
CI runner for Forgejo Actions
| Feature | Soft Serve | Forgejo Runner |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Git Hosting & Forges | Git Hosting & Forges |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,136 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | GitHub | GitHub Actions |
Why pick each one
Choose Soft Serve if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 7.1k GitHub stars
Choose Forgejo Runner if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Soft Serve or Forgejo Runner better?
Soft Serve is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Forgejo Runner if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Soft Serve and Forgejo Runner free and open-source?
Yes. Soft Serve is licensed under MIT and Forgejo Runner under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Soft Serve and Forgejo Runner with Docker?
Soft Serve: yes. Forgejo Runner: yes.