Lemmy vs Plume

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?
FeatureLemmyPlume
CategorySocial NetworksSocial Networks
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageRustRust
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 14,538★ 2,222
First released20192018
ReplacesRedditMedium, WordPress.com

Why pick each one

Choose Lemmy if…

  • Reddit-like experience
  • Efficient resource use
Lemmy details

Choose Plume if…

  • Lightweight Rust backend
  • Collaborative blogs
Plume details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lemmy or Plume 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 Plume free and open-source?

Yes. Lemmy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Plume under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Lemmy and Plume with Docker?

Lemmy: yes. Plume: yes.

Related comparisons