Phanpy vs Streams
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?
Phanpy
Minimalistic opinionated Fediverse ⁂ web client
VS
Streams
Decentralized social server with nomadic identity
| Feature | Phanpy | Streams |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 100 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,472 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads | Facebook, Mastodon |
Why pick each one
Choose Phanpy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Choose Streams if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Phanpy or Streams better?
Phanpy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Streams if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Phanpy and Streams free and open-source?
Yes. Phanpy is licensed under MIT and Streams under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Phanpy and Streams with Docker?
Phanpy: check the project docs for container support. Streams: yes.