Lemmy-Easy-Deploy vs Tildes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Lemmy-Easy-Deploy | Tildes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 145 | ★ 1,000 |
| First released | 2023 | 2018 |
| Replaces |
What are Lemmy-Easy-Deploy and Tildes?
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy is a set of scripts and Docker Compose templates that automate the setup of a self-hosted Lemmy link-aggregation and forum instance, including TLS and reverse proxy configuration.
- Automated Lemmy deployment
- Includes TLS and reverse proxy
- Beginner-friendly setup
Tildes
Tildes is the open-source code behind a non-profit, ad-free community discussion site organized into topic groups. It emphasizes thoughtful conversation through invite-based membership and gentle moderation tools.
- Topic-group structure
- Invite-based growth
- Comment tagging
- Ad-free by design
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy vs Tildes: key differences
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy is written in Shell, while Tildes is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Lemmy-Easy-Deploy versus AGPL-3.0 for Tildes. Lemmy-Easy-Deploy is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Tildes. Tildes is the more established project (first released 2018), while Lemmy-Easy-Deploy arrived in 2023. Tildes has the considerably larger community, at 1,000 GitHub stars versus 145. Lemmy-Easy-Deploy lists first-class Docker deployment; Tildes does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Lemmy-Easy-Deploy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Choose Tildes if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Lemmy-Easy-Deploy or Tildes better?
Neither is universally better. Tildes has the larger community, while Lemmy-Easy-Deploy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Lemmy-Easy-Deploy and Tildes free and open-source?
Yes. Lemmy-Easy-Deploy is licensed under MIT and Tildes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lemmy-Easy-Deploy and Tildes with Docker?
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy: yes. Tildes: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Lemmy-Easy-Deploy or Tildes?
Lemmy-Easy-Deploy has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Tildes. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.