kbin vs Mbin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
kbin
Federated content aggregator and microblog
VS
Mbin
Community-driven fork of the kbin aggregator
| Feature | kbin | Mbin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 600 | ★ 429 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces |
What are kbin and Mbin?
kbin
kbin is a free, open-source, federated content aggregator and microblogging platform. It combines Reddit-style threads with microblogging, all federating through ActivityPub.
- Threaded content aggregation
- Integrated microblogging
- ActivityPub federation
- Magazine-based communities
Mbin
Mbin is a free, open-source, federated content aggregator and microblogging platform, forked from kbin and maintained by the community. It supports threads, microblogs, and ActivityPub federation.
- Threads and microblogging
- ActivityPub federation
- Magazine communities
- Community-driven governance
kbin vs Mbin: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Kbin is the more established project (first released 2020), while Mbin arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose kbin if…
- Combines forum and microblog
- Federates widely
Watch out for
- Complex Symfony deployment
- Development pace varies
Choose Mbin if…
- Active community fork
- Regular releases
Watch out for
- Heavier deployment
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is kbin or Mbin better?
Neither is universally better. kbin has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are kbin and Mbin free and open-source?
Yes. kbin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mbin under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run kbin and Mbin with Docker?
kbin: yes. Mbin: yes.