Hollo vs snac
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hollo | snac |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 489 | ★ 900 |
| First released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Hollo and snac?
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
snac
snac is a minimalist, lightweight ActivityPub instance server written in C with very low resource requirements. It implements the core fediverse features without a database or heavy runtime.
- Tiny C implementation
- No database needed
- ActivityPub federation
- Runs on minimal hardware
Hollo vs snac: key differences
Hollo is written in TypeScript, while snac is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Hollo versus MIT for snac. Snac is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Hollo. Snac is the more established project (first released 2022), while Hollo arrived in 2024. Hollo lists first-class Docker deployment; snac 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 snac if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Hollo or snac better?
Neither is universally better. snac has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hollo and snac free and open-source?
Yes. Hollo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and snac under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hollo and snac with Docker?
Hollo: yes. snac: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hollo or snac?
snac has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Hollo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.