Iceshrimp vs Khatru Pyramid
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Iceshrimp | Khatru Pyramid |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Unlicense |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 33 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Mastodon, Twitter |
What are Iceshrimp and Khatru Pyramid?
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
Khatru Pyramid
A nostr relay with a invite hierarchy. Contribute to github-tijlxyz/khatru-pyramid development by creating an account on GitHub.
Iceshrimp vs Khatru Pyramid: key differences
Iceshrimp is written in TypeScript, while Khatru Pyramid is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Iceshrimp versus Unlicense for Khatru Pyramid. Khatru Pyramid is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Iceshrimp has the considerably larger community, at 300 GitHub stars versus 33. Iceshrimp lists first-class Docker deployment; Khatru Pyramid does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Iceshrimp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Khatru Pyramid if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Iceshrimp or Khatru Pyramid better?
Neither is universally better. Iceshrimp has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Iceshrimp and Khatru Pyramid free and open-source?
Yes. Iceshrimp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Khatru Pyramid under Unlicense. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Iceshrimp and Khatru Pyramid with Docker?
Iceshrimp: yes. Khatru Pyramid: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Iceshrimp or Khatru Pyramid?
Khatru Pyramid has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.