Heimdall vs Mafl
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted dashboards & startpages options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Heimdall | Mafl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,331 | ★ 756 |
| First released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Heimdall | Heimdall |
What are Heimdall and Mafl?
Heimdall
Heimdall is a simple dashboard for organizing all your web applications and links in one place with enhanced app tiles. It targets users who want an easy, no-frills start page. It is deployed via Docker.
- Simple app tile dashboard
- Enhanced tiles with live data
- Search bar integration
- Easy to use
Mafl
Mafl is a minimalist, easy-to-use start page that organizes services and apps using a single YAML configuration. It targets users who want a tidy, simple home page. It is deployed via Docker.
- Single YAML configuration
- Service status checks
- Light and dark themes
- Lightweight footprint
Heimdall vs Mafl: key differences
Heimdall is written in PHP, while Mafl is built with TypeScript. Mafl is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Heimdall. Heimdall is the more established project (first released 2017), while Mafl arrived in 2023. Heimdall has the considerably larger community, at 9,331 GitHub stars versus 756.
Why pick each one
Choose Heimdall if…
- Very simple to set up
- Clean look
- Low maintenance
Watch out for
- Limited widgets
- Slow development pace
Choose Mafl if…
- Clean minimal design
- Easy config
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Few advanced features
- Small community
Frequently asked questions
Is Heimdall or Mafl better?
Neither is universally better. Heimdall has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Heimdall and Mafl free and open-source?
Yes. Heimdall is licensed under MIT and Mafl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Heimdall and Mafl with Docker?
Heimdall: yes. Mafl: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Heimdall or Mafl?
Mafl has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Heimdall. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.