kbin vs mlmym
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
mlmym
Old-Reddit-style alternative front-end for Lemmy
| Feature | kbin | mlmym |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 600 | ★ 287 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces |
What are kbin and mlmym?
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
mlmym
mlmym is a lightweight alternative web interface for Lemmy that mimics the classic old.reddit.com design. It connects to any Lemmy instance and renders a fast, minimal experience.
- Old Reddit style UI
- Works with any Lemmy instance
- Very lightweight
- Fast page loads
kbin vs mlmym: key differences
Kbin is written in PHP, while mlmym is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for kbin versus MIT for mlmym. Mlmym is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for kbin. Kbin is the more established project (first released 2020), while mlmym arrived in 2023. Kbin has the considerably larger community, at 600 GitHub stars versus 287.
Why pick each one
Choose kbin if…
- Combines forum and microblog
- Federates widely
Watch out for
- Complex Symfony deployment
- Development pace varies
Choose mlmym if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is kbin or mlmym better?
Neither is universally better. kbin has the larger community, while mlmym is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are kbin and mlmym free and open-source?
Yes. kbin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and mlmym under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run kbin and mlmym with Docker?
kbin: yes. mlmym: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, kbin or mlmym?
mlmym has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for kbin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.