Lemmy vs NeoDB
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?
Lemmy
Federated link aggregator and forum
VS
NeoDB
Federated catalog for books, movies, music, and games
| Feature | Lemmy | NeoDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,538 | ★ 866 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Goodreads, Letterboxd |
Why pick each one
Choose NeoDB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Lemmy or NeoDB better?
Neither is universally better. Lemmy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lemmy and NeoDB free and open-source?
Yes. Lemmy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and NeoDB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lemmy and NeoDB with Docker?
Lemmy: yes. NeoDB: yes.