Loops vs Pixelfed
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Loops | Pixelfed |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 350 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 455 | ★ 7,107 |
| First released | 2025 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube |
What are Loops and Pixelfed?
Loops
The federated short video sharing platform. Contribute to joinloops/loops-server development by creating an account on GitHub.
Pixelfed
Pixelfed is a free, open-source, federated image-sharing platform. It offers an Instagram-like experience with photo feeds, stories, and collections that federate via ActivityPub.
- Photo feeds and stories
- ActivityPub federation
- Collections and albums
- Official mobile apps
Loops vs Pixelfed: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0-or-later for Loops versus AGPL-3.0 for Pixelfed. Loops is the lighter option, starting around 350 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Pixelfed. Pixelfed is the more established project (first released 2018), while Loops arrived in 2025. Pixelfed has the considerably larger community, at 7,107 GitHub stars versus 455. Pixelfed lists first-class Docker deployment; Loops does not.
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 Pixelfed if…
- Instagram-like experience
- No ads or tracking
Watch out for
- Setup is involved
- Smaller network than Instagram
Frequently asked questions
Is Loops or Pixelfed better?
Neither is universally better. Pixelfed has the larger community, while Loops is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Loops and Pixelfed free and open-source?
Yes. Loops is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Pixelfed under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Loops and Pixelfed with Docker?
Loops: check the project docs for container support. Pixelfed: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Loops or Pixelfed?
Loops has the smaller minimum footprint at 350 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Pixelfed. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.