Lemmy vs Smithereen
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
Smithereen
Federated social network with a familiar layout
| Feature | Lemmy | Smithereen |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,538 | ★ 547 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Facebook, VK |
Why pick each one
Choose Smithereen if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Lemmy or Smithereen 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 Smithereen free and open-source?
Yes. Lemmy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Smithereen under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lemmy and Smithereen with Docker?
Lemmy: yes. Smithereen: yes.