HumHub vs Pixelfed
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
HumHub
Open-source social network for communities
VS
Pixelfed
Federated photo-sharing social platform
| Feature | HumHub | Pixelfed |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,716 | ★ 7,055 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Facebook Workplace, Yammer |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is HumHub or Pixelfed better?
Neither is universally better. Pixelfed has the larger community, while HumHub is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HumHub and Pixelfed free and open-source?
Yes. HumHub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pixelfed under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HumHub and Pixelfed with Docker?
HumHub: yes. Pixelfed: yes.