Iceshrimp.NET vs Lemmy
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?
Iceshrimp.NET
Federated microblogging server that communicates over ActivityPub
VS
Lemmy
Federated link aggregator and forum
| Feature | Iceshrimp.NET | Lemmy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | .NET | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 14,538 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Iceshrimp.NET if…
- Released under the EUPL-1.2 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in .NET
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Iceshrimp.NET or Lemmy better?
Neither is universally better. Lemmy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Iceshrimp.NET and Lemmy free and open-source?
Yes. Iceshrimp.NET is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Lemmy under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Iceshrimp.NET and Lemmy with Docker?
Iceshrimp.NET: yes. Lemmy: yes.