Iceshrimp vs pump.io
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Iceshrimp | pump.io |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 2,237 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Iceshrimp and pump.io?
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
pump.io
pump.io is a stream server that lets users post activities to their followers and to the web, implementing the Activity Streams format. It can be self-hosted as a personal social networking node.
- Activity Streams social server
- Personal social networking node
- Federation support
Iceshrimp vs pump.io: key differences
Iceshrimp is written in TypeScript, while pump.io is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Iceshrimp versus Apache-2.0 for pump.io. Pump.io is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Pump.io is the more established project (first released 2013), while Iceshrimp arrived in 2023. Pump.io has the considerably larger community, at 2,237 GitHub stars versus 300. Iceshrimp lists first-class Docker deployment; pump.io 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 pump.io if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Iceshrimp or pump.io better?
Neither is universally better. pump.io has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Iceshrimp and pump.io free and open-source?
Yes. Iceshrimp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and pump.io under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Iceshrimp and pump.io with Docker?
Iceshrimp: yes. pump.io: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Iceshrimp or pump.io?
pump.io has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Iceshrimp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.