Ktistec vs ActivityPub for WordPress
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ktistec | ActivityPub for WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Crystal | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 436 | ★ 583 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Mastodon | Twitter, Medium |
What are Ktistec and ActivityPub for WordPress?
Ktistec
Ktistec is a single-user ActivityPub server written in Crystal, designed to be easy to deploy and maintain. It provides a personal fediverse presence with a simple, self-contained runtime.
- Single-user design
- Self-contained runtime
- SQLite storage
- ActivityPub federation
ActivityPub for WordPress
The ActivityPub plugin lets a self-hosted WordPress site federate with the fediverse, so people can follow blog posts from Mastodon and other ActivityPub software. It also delivers comments back as replies.
- Federates WordPress posts
- Follow blogs from Mastodon
- Comments as replies
- Official Automattic plugin
Ktistec vs ActivityPub for WordPress: key differences
Ktistec is written in Crystal, while ActivityPub for WordPress is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Ktistec versus MIT for ActivityPub for WordPress.
Why pick each one
Choose Ktistec if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Crystal
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose ActivityPub for WordPress if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Ktistec or ActivityPub for WordPress better?
ActivityPub for WordPress is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ktistec if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ktistec and ActivityPub for WordPress free and open-source?
Yes. Ktistec is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ActivityPub for WordPress under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ktistec and ActivityPub for WordPress with Docker?
Ktistec: check the project docs for container support. ActivityPub for WordPress: check the project docs for container support.