Nitter vs Smithereen
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?
Nitter
Alternative front-end for Twitter that respects your privacy
VS
Smithereen
Federated social network with a familiar layout
| Feature | Nitter | Smithereen |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Nim | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,408 | ★ 547 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | X | Facebook, VK |
Why pick each one
Choose Nitter if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 13.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Nim
Choose Smithereen if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Nitter or Smithereen better?
Nitter is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Smithereen if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Nitter and Smithereen free and open-source?
Yes. Nitter is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only and Smithereen under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nitter and Smithereen with Docker?
Nitter: check the project docs for container support. Smithereen: yes.