Invidious vs Libremdb
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?
| Feature | Invidious | Libremdb |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | GPL-3.0-only | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Crystal | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,442 | ★ 431 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | YouTube | IMDb |
Why pick each one
Choose Invidious if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Mature project with 22.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Crystal
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Libremdb if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Invidious or Libremdb better?
Neither is universally better. Invidious has the larger community, while Libremdb is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Invidious and Libremdb free and open-source?
Yes. Invidious is licensed under GPL-3.0-only and Libremdb under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Invidious and Libremdb with Docker?
Invidious: check the project docs for container support. Libremdb: check the project docs for container support.