Misskey vs Sphinx Relay
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?
Misskey
Decentralized fediverse platform with rich features
VS
Sphinx Relay
Chat and pay over the Lightning Network
| Feature | Misskey | Sphinx Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,271 | ★ 247 |
| First released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, Tumblr | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Sphinx Relay if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Misskey or Sphinx Relay better?
Neither is universally better. Misskey has the larger community, while Sphinx Relay is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Misskey and Sphinx Relay free and open-source?
Yes. Misskey is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sphinx Relay under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Misskey and Sphinx Relay with Docker?
Misskey: yes. Sphinx Relay: yes.