Loops vs Pinchflat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Loops
Federated short video sharing platform
VS
Pinchflat
Self-hosted YouTube media archiving for media servers
| Feature | Loops | Pinchflat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 350 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 5,215 |
| First released | 2025 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | YouTube |
Why pick each one
Choose Loops if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 350 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Loops or Pinchflat better?
Pinchflat is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Loops if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Loops and Pinchflat free and open-source?
Yes. Loops is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Pinchflat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Loops and Pinchflat with Docker?
Loops: check the project docs for container support. Pinchflat: yes.