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.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Loops | Pixelfed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 437 | ★ 7,055 |
| First released | 2025 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Instagram, TikTok, 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 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.