Iceshrimp vs Sharkey
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Iceshrimp | Sharkey |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Iceshrimp and Sharkey?
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
Sharkey
Sharkey is a feature-rich fork of Misskey that adds quote posts, improved moderation, and additional customization for fediverse instances. It supports a rich timeline with reactions and drive file storage.
- Quote posts and reactions
- Drive file storage
- Extensive customization
- Improved moderation
Iceshrimp vs Sharkey: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Iceshrimp is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Sharkey. Sharkey has the considerably larger community, at 600 GitHub stars versus 300.
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 Sharkey if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Iceshrimp or Sharkey better?
Neither is universally better. Sharkey has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Iceshrimp and Sharkey free and open-source?
Yes. Iceshrimp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sharkey under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Iceshrimp and Sharkey with Docker?
Iceshrimp: yes. Sharkey: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Iceshrimp or Sharkey?
Iceshrimp has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Sharkey. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.