Hollo vs Khatru Pyramid
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hollo | Khatru Pyramid |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 8 · At risk |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Unlicense |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 489 | ★ 33 |
| First released | 2024 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Mastodon, Twitter |
What are Hollo and Khatru Pyramid?
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
Khatru Pyramid
A nostr relay with a invite hierarchy. Contribute to github-tijlxyz/khatru-pyramid development by creating an account on GitHub.
Hollo vs Khatru Pyramid: key differences
Hollo is written in TypeScript, while Khatru Pyramid is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Hollo versus Unlicense for Khatru Pyramid. Khatru Pyramid is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hollo. Hollo has the considerably larger community, at 489 GitHub stars versus 33. Hollo lists first-class Docker deployment; Khatru Pyramid 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 Khatru Pyramid if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Hollo or Khatru Pyramid 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 Khatru Pyramid free and open-source?
Yes. Hollo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Khatru Pyramid under Unlicense. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hollo and Khatru Pyramid with Docker?
Hollo: yes. Khatru Pyramid: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hollo or Khatru Pyramid?
Khatru Pyramid has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hollo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.