Hollo vs Phanpy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Hollo
Single-user federated microblogging server
VS
Phanpy
Minimalistic opinionated Fediverse ⁂ web client
| Feature | Hollo | Phanpy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 100 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 489 | ★ 1,492 |
| First released | 2024 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads |
What are Hollo and Phanpy?
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
Phanpy
Minimalistic opinionated Fediverse ⁂ web client.
Hollo vs Phanpy: key differences
Hollo is written in TypeScript, while Phanpy is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Hollo versus MIT for Phanpy. Phanpy is the lighter option, starting around 100 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hollo. Phanpy has the considerably larger community, at 1,492 GitHub stars versus 489. Hollo lists first-class Docker deployment; Phanpy 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 Phanpy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Hollo or Phanpy better?
Phanpy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Hollo if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Hollo and Phanpy free and open-source?
Yes. Hollo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Phanpy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hollo and Phanpy with Docker?
Hollo: yes. Phanpy: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hollo or Phanpy?
Phanpy has the smaller minimum footprint at 100 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hollo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.