GoBlog vs WriteFreely
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
WriteFreely
Minimalist federated blogging platform
| Feature | GoBlog | WriteFreely |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 71 · Good | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 280 | ★ 5,257 |
| First released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Medium, WordPress | Medium, Tumblr |
What are GoBlog and WriteFreely?
GoBlog
GoBlog is a fast, single-binary blogging system written in Go that supports ActivityPub federation, IndieWeb features, and webmentions. It is designed for personal sites that want fediverse interaction.
- Single Go binary
- ActivityPub and IndieWeb
- Webmention support
- SQLite storage
WriteFreely
WriteFreely is a free, open-source, federated blogging platform written in Go. It focuses on distraction-free writing and publishes posts that can federate with the fediverse.
- Distraction-free writing
- ActivityPub federation
- Multiple blogs per user
- Markdown support
GoBlog vs WriteFreely: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MIT for GoBlog versus AGPL-3.0 for WriteFreely. GoBlog is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for WriteFreely. WriteFreely is the more established project (first released 2018), while GoBlog arrived in 2020. WriteFreely has the considerably larger community, at 5,257 GitHub stars versus 280.
Why pick each one
Choose GoBlog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Choose WriteFreely if…
- Clean minimalist design
- Lightweight to host
Watch out for
- Few social features
- Sparse theming options
Frequently asked questions
Is GoBlog or WriteFreely better?
Neither is universally better. WriteFreely has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GoBlog and WriteFreely free and open-source?
Yes. GoBlog is licensed under MIT and WriteFreely under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoBlog and WriteFreely with Docker?
GoBlog: yes. WriteFreely: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GoBlog or WriteFreely?
GoBlog has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for WriteFreely. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.