Hollo vs Honk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hollo | Honk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | ISC |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 489 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Hollo and Honk?
Hollo
Hollo is a federated single-user microblogging server compatible with the Mastodon client API. It is designed for individuals who want their own ActivityPub presence without running a multi-user instance.
- Single-user microblog
- Mastodon API compatible
- ActivityPub federation
- Markdown posts
Honk
Honk is an opinionated, single-user ActivityPub server written in Go that federates with the wider fediverse. It deliberately omits algorithmic feeds and trends in favor of a simple chronological timeline.
- Single-user fediverse server
- Chronological timeline
- SQLite storage
- Minimal dependencies
Hollo vs Honk: key differences
Hollo is written in TypeScript, while Honk is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Hollo versus ISC for Honk. Honk is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hollo. Honk is the more established project (first released 2019), while Hollo arrived in 2024. Hollo lists first-class Docker deployment; Honk does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Hollo if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Honk if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Hollo or Honk better?
Neither is universally better. Hollo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hollo and Honk free and open-source?
Yes. Hollo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Honk under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hollo and Honk with Docker?
Hollo: yes. Honk: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hollo or Honk?
Honk has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hollo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.