Best / Fediverse social
Best open-source Fediverse social
The best self-hosted fediverse split in the c17.io catalog is Lemmy for an AGPL-3.0 link aggregator (the published Reddit stack), PieFed for that Python threadiverse (Codeberg rimu/pyfedi), Pixelfed when the job is an AGPL-3.0 photo social feed rather than a camera roll, Mastodon when the job is microblogging, and PeerTube when the job is a VOD library rather than a feed. This is not Reddit awards, Instagram Shop, or YouTube ads. A forum stays on /replace/facebook-groups (Discourse). A camera-roll backup stays on /replace/flickr (Immich).
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Ranked picks
1
LemmyAGPL-3.0 federated link aggregator — the c17 Reddit path. /compare/lemmy-vs-piefed.
When to pick it: Communities, posts, and votes you host.
14,645 stars in the catalog
2
PieFedAGPL-3.0 Python threadiverse server on Codeberg — /compare/lemmy-vs-piefed.
When to pick it: A Python Reddit-shaped server if Lemmy is not the shape.
265 stars in the catalog
3
PixelfedAGPL-3.0 federated photo social network — the c17 Instagram path.
When to pick it: A feed and follows, not a camera-roll backup.
7,129 stars in the catalog
4
MastodonAGPL-3.0 microblogging already in the catalog. Not a link aggregator.
When to pick it: Short posts and a timeline, not Reddit threads.
50,420 stars in the catalog
5
PeerTubeAGPL-3.0 federated VOD library — already on /replace/youtube and /replace/vimeo.
When to pick it: A video library and a player, not a social feed.
15,363 stars in the catalog
How they compare
| Tool | License | Self-host | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemmy | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | Communities, posts, and votes you host. |
| PieFed | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | A Python Reddit-shaped server if Lemmy is not the shape. |
| Pixelfed | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | A feed and follows, not a camera-roll backup. |
| Mastodon | AGPL-3.0 | Medium | Short posts and a timeline, not Reddit threads. |
| PeerTube | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | A video library and a player, not a social feed. |
Related pages
FAQ
- Lemmy or PieFed?
- Lemmy if you want the published Reddit path. PieFed if you want that Python threadiverse — /compare/lemmy-vs-piefed.
- Is this Instagram?
- The photo-social slice is Pixelfed — /replace/instagram. Immich is a camera roll, not a feed.
- Why is PeerTube last?
- PeerTube is a VOD library. Put it here so YouTube is not sold as a link aggregator.
- Are these free?
- Lemmy, PieFed, Pixelfed, Mastodon, and PeerTube are AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting. Template users never pay c17.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open /stacks/lemmy-reddit. Persist Postgres. Create one community and one post.
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