Smithereen vs Zap
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Smithereen | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 546 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Facebook, VK | Facebook, Twitter |
What are Smithereen and Zap?
Smithereen
Smithereen is a federated, ActivityPub-powered social network whose interface is inspired by classic social media layouts. It supports friends, walls, photo albums, and groups across the fediverse.
- Classic social layout
- Friend and wall model
- Photo albums
- Fediverse groups
Zap
Zap is a decentralized communications platform from the Hubzilla and Streams lineage that supports nomadic identity, letting accounts move between servers. It federates over multiple protocols including ActivityPub.
- Nomadic identity
- Multi-protocol federation
- Account portability
- Fine-grained permissions
Smithereen vs Zap: key differences
Smithereen is written in Java, while Zap is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Smithereen versus MIT for Zap. Zap is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Smithereen. Zap is the more established project (first released 2018), while Smithereen arrived in 2020. Smithereen has the considerably larger community, at 546 GitHub stars versus 50. Smithereen lists first-class Docker deployment; Zap does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Smithereen if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Choose Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Smithereen or Zap better?
Smithereen is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Zap if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Smithereen and Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Smithereen is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Smithereen and Zap with Docker?
Smithereen: yes. Zap: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Smithereen or Zap?
Zap has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Smithereen. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.