Loops vs Piped
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?
| Feature | Loops | Piped |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | PHP | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 350 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 10,168 |
| 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
Choose Piped if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 10.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Frequently asked questions
Is Loops or Piped better?
Piped 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 Piped free and open-source?
Yes. Loops is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Piped under AGPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Loops and Piped with Docker?
Loops: check the project docs for container support. Piped: check the project docs for container support.