kbin vs lemmyBB
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?
kbin
Federated content aggregator and microblog
VS
lemmyBB
Forum-style web front-end for the Lemmy backend
| Feature | kbin | lemmyBB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 600 | ★ 199 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Reddit, phpBB |
Why pick each one
Choose lemmyBB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is kbin or lemmyBB better?
Neither is universally better. kbin has the larger community, while lemmyBB is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are kbin and lemmyBB free and open-source?
Yes. kbin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and lemmyBB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run kbin and lemmyBB with Docker?
kbin: yes. lemmyBB: yes.