Homepage 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 | Homepage | Mafl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 55 · Fair |
| Category | Dashboards & Startpages | Dashboards & Startpages |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 32,809 | ★ 756 |
| First released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Heimdall | Heimdall |
What are Homepage and Mafl?
Homepage
Homepage is a highly customizable application dashboard configured via YAML files, with Docker and service integrations. It targets users who like config-as-code start pages. It is deployed via Docker.
- YAML-based configuration
- Docker auto-discovery
- Hundreds of service widgets
- Very fast and lightweight
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
Homepage vs Mafl: key differences
Homepage is written in JavaScript, while Mafl is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Homepage versus MIT for Mafl. Mafl is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Homepage. Homepage has the considerably larger community, at 32,809 GitHub stars versus 756.
Why pick each one
Choose Homepage if…
- Config as code
- Lightweight and fast
- Tons of widgets
Watch out for
- No web-based editing
- Editing YAML can intimidate
Choose Mafl if…
- Clean minimal design
- Easy config
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Few advanced features
- Small community
Frequently asked questions
Is Homepage or Mafl better?
Neither is universally better. Homepage has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Homepage and Mafl free and open-source?
Yes. Homepage is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mafl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Homepage and Mafl with Docker?
Homepage: yes. Mafl: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Homepage or Mafl?
Mafl has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Homepage. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.