Honk vs Iceshrimp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Honk | Iceshrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | ISC | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Honk and Iceshrimp?
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
Iceshrimp
Iceshrimp is a decentralized, ActivityPub-compatible microblogging server derived from Misskey with a focus on stability and reduced resource use. It offers a familiar fediverse experience with custom emoji and reactions.
- Misskey-compatible features
- Custom emoji reactions
- Lower resource usage
- ActivityPub federation
Honk vs Iceshrimp: key differences
Honk is written in Go, while Iceshrimp is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — ISC for Honk versus AGPL-3.0 for Iceshrimp. Honk is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Honk is the more established project (first released 2019), while Iceshrimp arrived in 2023. Iceshrimp lists first-class Docker deployment; Honk does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Honk if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Iceshrimp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Honk or Iceshrimp better?
Neither is universally better. Honk has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Honk and Iceshrimp free and open-source?
Yes. Honk is licensed under ISC and Iceshrimp under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Honk and Iceshrimp with Docker?
Honk: check the project docs for container support. Iceshrimp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Honk or Iceshrimp?
Honk has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.