Pixelfed if the product is a federated feed (the published Instagram path). Immich if the product is a timeline you back up — /replace/google-photos. They are different jobs.

No. Flickr-shaped libraries stay on /replace/flickr (Immich). This page is a social feed.

Pixelfed is AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting and storage. Template users never pay c17.

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Pixelfed

A photo social network you host. Pixelfed is AGPL-3.0 — Instagram without the hosted feed seat.

The problem

Instagram is a hosted photo social graph. You wanted posts, follows, and stories on a box you run. Pixelfed is AGPL-3.0 (pixelfed/pixelfed; last push 24 Oct 2026). Immich is the camera-roll backup — already on /replace/google-photos and /replace/flickr — not an Instagram feed. Lychee is a gallery, not a social network. This is not Instagram's every Reels, Shop, or ads SKU. A Flickr-shaped library stays on /replace/flickr.

Replaces

Instagram

Replace Instagram See all best open-source fediverse social servers

Estimated SaaS saved

$1,200

per year, small team, before lock-in

Start on Railway

Immich if this is a camera-roll backup, not a social feed

Sponsor this stack Tip jar

Placeholder: Pixelfed (Laravel + Redis + a database) plus a volume for media. Federation wants a public hostname. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. A camera-roll timeline stays on /stacks/immich-photos.

The stack

Pixelfed
AGPL-3.0 federated photo social network — the published Instagram path
Catalog entry →

Cost table

You stop paying	Typical / year	Self-host instead
Instagram / hosted photo social (small team)	$1,200	Pixelfed + media volume

Agent setup prompt

Replace Instagram with Pixelfed (https://pixelfed.org).

- Official docs. Persist the database and media volume. Create one account and one post. Do not claim Reels, Shop, or ads.
- Immich if the job is a camera-roll backup — /stacks/immich-photos. A public image dump stays on /stacks/lychee-images.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.

Also as markdown: /stacks/pixelfed-social.md

FAQ

Pixelfed or Immich?: Pixelfed if the product is a federated feed (the published Instagram path). Immich if the product is a timeline you back up — /replace/google-photos. They are different jobs.
Is this Flickr?: No. Flickr-shaped libraries stay on /replace/flickr (Immich). This page is a social feed.
Are these free?: Pixelfed is AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting and storage. Template users never pay c17.