Nitter vs Zap
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
Zap
Decentralized social network with nomadic identity
| Feature | Nitter | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only | MIT |
| Language | Nim | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,408 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2023 | 2018 |
| Replaces | X | Facebook, Twitter |
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 Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Nitter or Zap better?
Nitter is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zap if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Nitter and Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Nitter is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nitter and Zap with Docker?
Nitter: check the project docs for container support. Zap: check the project docs for container support.