Draft:Comparison of Fediverse software

Revision as of 07:13, 17 September 2023 by Jupiter Rowland (talk | contribs) (More specifics for OpenWebAuth due to Friendica's only limited support)
This article is a draft!
A lot of info might still be missing and the page might change at any time.

Basic info

Main medium Type Based on Name Links
Homepage Wikipedia (en) Fedi observer FediDB FediParty
Text Microblogging Mastodon   Mastodon joinmastodon.org Mastodon (social network) mastodon mastodon mastodon
  Ecko magicstone.dev ecko ecko
  Fedibird fedibird fedibird
  Glitch-soc glitch-soc.github.io/docs
  Hometown hometown hometown
  koyu.space
  Smalltown
Pleroma   Pleroma pleroma.social pleroma pleroma pleroma
  Akkoma akkoma.social akkoma akkoma
Misskey   Misskey misskey-hub.net misskey misskey misskey
  Firefish joinfirefish.org firefish firefish firefish
  FoundKey
GNU social gnusocial.rocks GNU social gnusocial gnusocial gnusocial
GoToSocial   GoToSocial gotosocial.org gotosocial gotosocial
Pump.io   Pump.io pump.io Pump.io
Identi.ca   Identi.ca Identi.ca
Takahē   Takahē jointakahe.org takahē
Epicyon   Epicyon epicyon.net epicyon
Micro.blog   Micro.blog micro.blog Micro.blog
Tumblr   Tumblr tumblr.com Tumblr Centralised
Bonfire   Bonfire bonfirenetworks.org
Swanye   Swanye
Threads   Threads threads.net Threads (social network) Centralised
Social Network Friendica   Friendica friendi.ca Friendica Friendica Friendica Friendica
diaspora*   diaspora* diasporafoundation.org Diaspora (software) diaspora
  Acropolis
Friendica
Red Matrix
Osada
Zap...
Roadhouse
  (streams) None, only code repository Intentionally absent, impossible to crawl
SocialHome   Socialhome socialhome
Honk   Honk tedunangst.com/honk honk
Multi-purpose Friendica
Red Matrix
  Hubzilla hubzilla.org Hubzilla Hubzilla Hubzilla
Blogging WriteFreely   WriteFreely writefreely.org writefreely
Plume   Plume joinplu.me plume
Website (CMS) WordPress   WordPress wordpress.org
Drupal   Drupal drupal.org Drupal
Links & other Content aggregation Lemmy   Lemmy join-lemmy.org lemmy
/kbin   Kbin kbin.pub /kbin /kbin
Images Photoblogging Pixelfed   Pixelfed pixelfed.org Pixelfed pixelfed pixelfed pixelfed
Flickr   Flickr flickr.com Flickr Centralised
Videos Video hosting PeerTube   PeerTube joinpeertube.org PeerTube peertube peertube peertube
Video streaming Owncast   Owncast owncast.online
Video blogging Goldfish   Goldfish
Audio Audio Hosting Funkwhale   Funkwhale funkwhale.audio funkwhale
Castopod   CastoPod castopod.org
reel2bits   reel2bits reel2bits.org
Events Event Planning Mobilizon   Mobilizon mobilizon.org Mobilizon mobilizon
Gancio   Gancio gancio.org gancio
Cataloguing Book cataloguing BookWyrm   BookWyrm joinbookwyrm.com bookwyrm
Inventaire   Inventaire inventaire.io

User interface

Name Different
Web frontends
Themes for
Web frontends
Switchable
dark mode
Public timelines
for instances for users 🎨 🔧 Local Federated
  Mastodon ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Ecko ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Fedibird ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Glitch-soc ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Hometown ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  koyu.space ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Smalltown ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ Manual ✔️ ✔️
  Pleroma
  Akkoma
  Misskey
  Firefish
  FoundKey
  GoToSocial
  Pump.io
  Identi.ca
  Takahē
  Epicyon
  Micro.blog Single
user
  Tumblr Centralised
  Bonfire
  Swanye
  Threads Centralised
  Friendica ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  diaspora*
  Acropolis
  (streams) Optional
  Socialhome
  Honk
  Hubzilla Currently only one
supported frontend
✔️ ✔️ Optionally
automatic
Optional ✖️
  WriteFreely ✖️ ✔️
  Plume
  WordPress
  Drupal
  Lemmy
  Kbin
  Pixelfed
  Flickr Centralised
  PeerTube
  Owncast
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon
  Gancio
  BookWyrm
  Inventaire

Apps

Note: The Mastodon API makes it possible to use apps developed for Mastodon with a project. However, the available features will be limited to only Mastodon features included in the app.

Name Mastodon
API
support
Project-specific desktop apps Project-specific mobile apps OAuth support
Official Windows macOS Linux Other Official iOS Android Other OAuth OAuth2
CLI GUI Google
Play Store
F-Droid Client Server Client Server
  Mastodon ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ 3rd-party only;
SailfishOS
✖️ ✖️
  Ecko ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Fedibird ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Glitch-soc ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Hometown ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  koyu.space ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Smalltown ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Pleroma ✖️
  Akkoma ✖️
  Misskey ✖️
  Firefish ✖️
  FoundKey ✖️
✖️
  GoToSocial ✖️
  Pump.io ✖️
  Identi.ca ✖️
  Takahē ✖️
  Epicyon ✖️
  Micro.blog ✖️
  Tumblr
  Bonfire ✖️
  Swanye ✖️
  Threads ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️ ✖️
  Friendica ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  diaspora* ✖️
  Acropolis ✖️
  (streams) ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Socialhome ✖️
  Honk ✖️
  Hubzilla ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ Defunct Defunct ✖️ Optional ✖️ Optional ✖️
  WriteFreely ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Plume ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  WordPress ✖️
  Drupal ✖️
  Lemmy ✖️
  Kbin ✖️
  Pixelfed ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ 3rd-party only
  Flickr ✖️
  PeerTube ✖️
  Owncast ✖️
  Goldfish ✖️
  Funkwhale ✖️
  CastoPod ✖️
  reel2bits ✖️
  Mobilizon ✖️
  Gancio ✖️
  BookWyrm ✖️
  Inventaire ✖️

Accounts

Name Multiple
identities/channels
per account
with separate content
and separate connections
Account/channel role Account/channel
verification
OpenWebAuth
single sign-on
Variable
role
Preset roles Your
login
recognised
Recognises
logins
of others
Limit to only
instances with
connections
  Mastodon ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ Planned Planned?
  Ecko ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  Fedibird ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  Glitch-soc ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  Hometown ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  koyu.space ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  Smalltown ✖️ ✖️ ✔️
  Pleroma ✖️ ✖️
  Akkoma ✖️ ✖️
  Misskey ✖️ ✖️
  Firefish ✖️ ✖️
  FoundKey ✖️ ✖️
✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  GoToSocial ✖️
  Pump.io ✖️ ✖️
  Identi.ca ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Takahē ✖️
  Epicyon ✖️
  Micro.blog ✖️
  Tumblr ✖️
  Bonfire ✖️
  Swanye ✖️
  Threads ✖️ ✖️
  Friendica ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  diaspora* ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Acropolis ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  (streams) Unlimited ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️
  Socialhome ✖️
  Honk ✖️
  Hubzilla Unlimited ✔️ ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  WriteFreely ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Plume ✖️ ✖️
  WordPress ✖️
  Drupal ✖️
  Lemmy ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Kbin ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Pixelfed ✖️
  Flickr ✖️
  PeerTube ✖️
  Owncast ✖️
  Goldfish ✖️
  Funkwhale ✖️
  CastoPod ✖️
  reel2bits ✖️
  Mobilizon ✖️
  Gancio ✖️
  BookWyrm ✖️
  Inventaire ✖️

Profiles

Name Multiple profiles per account/channel Profile fields
Number Assign to... Number Tag
field
Connections Groups
  Mastodon ✖️
  Ecko ✖️
  Fedibird ✖️
  Glitch-soc ✖️
  Hometown ✖️
  koyu.space ✖️
  Smalltown ✖️
  Pleroma
  Akkoma
  Misskey
  Firefish
  FoundKey
✖️
  GoToSocial
  Pump.io
  Identi.ca ✖️
  Takahē
  Epicyon
  Micro.blog
  Tumblr ✖️
  Bonfire
  Swanye
  Threads
  Friendica Unlimited
  diaspora* ✖️
  Acropolis ✖️
  (streams) Unlimited
  Socialhome
  Honk
  Hubzilla Unlimited ✔️ ✖️ 29 free-text fields
3 lists
✔️
  WriteFreely ✖️
  Plume ✖️
  WordPress ✖️
  Drupal ✖️
  Lemmy ✖️
  Kbin
  Pixelfed
  Flickr ✖️
  PeerTube
  Owncast
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon
  Gancio
  BookWyrm
  Inventaire

Moving

Name Move from where Take what with you Account/channel
import/export
Nomadic identity
Instances
of the same
project
Instances
with the same
underlying
protocol
Instances
with a different
underlying
protocol
Posts Profile(s) Followed Followers Images,
media,
other files
Settings Export Import
  Mastodon ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✖️ ✖️
  Ecko ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  Fedibird ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  Glitch-soc ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  Hometown ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  koyu.space ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  Smalltown ✔️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  Pleroma ✖️
  Akkoma ✖️
  Misskey ✖️
  Firefish ✖️
  FoundKey ✖️
✖️
  GoToSocial ✖️
  Pump.io ✖️
  Identi.ca ✖️
  Takahē ✖️
  Epicyon ✖️
  Micro.blog ✖️
  Tumblr Centralised ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Bonfire ✖️
  Swanye ✖️
  Threads Centralised ✖️
  Friendica ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✖️
  diaspora* ✖️
  Acropolis ✖️
  (streams) ✔️ ✔️ Zot6 ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  Socialhome ✖️
  Honk ✖️
  Hubzilla ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  WriteFreely ✖️
  Plume ✖️
  WordPress ✖️ ✖️
  Drupal ✖️ ✖️
  Lemmy ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Kbin ✖️
  Pixelfed ✖️ ✖️ Instagram ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Flickr Centralised ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  PeerTube ✖️
  Owncast ✖️
  Goldfish ✖️
  Funkwhale ✖️
  CastoPod ✖️
  reel2bits ✖️
  Mobilizon ✖️
  Gancio ✖️
  BookWyrm ✖️
  Inventaire ✖️

File uploads and file space

Name File space with
file manager
Maximum
file size
(green =
adjustable)
Subfolders Access permissions Flag images/media
as sensitive
WebDAV
access
Adjustable
permissions
Access permissions
control
for images/media
when embedded
Guest tokens
  Mastodon Uploads
to posts
40MB ✖️
  Ecko Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Fedibird Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Glitch-soc Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Hometown Uploads
to posts
✖️
  koyu.space Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Smalltown Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Pleroma Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Akkoma Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Misskey Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Firefish Uploads
to posts
80MB ✖️
  FoundKey Uploads
to posts
✖️
Uploads
to posts
✖️
  GoToSocial
  Pump.io
  Identi.ca
  Takahē
  Epicyon
  Micro.blog
  Tumblr
  Bonfire
  Swanye
  Threads
  Friendica ✔️ Unlimited ✔️
  diaspora* Uploads
to posts
✖️
  Acropolis Uploads
to posts
✖️
  (streams) ✔️ Unlimited ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  Socialhome
  Honk
  Hubzilla ✔️ Unlimited ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
  WriteFreely ✖️
  Plume ✔️ ✖️
  WordPress
  Drupal
  Lemmy
  Kbin
  Pixelfed
  Flickr
  PeerTube
  Owncast
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon
  Gancio
  BookWyrm
  Inventaire

Multimedia

Name Supported formats Image gallery Playback/
Streaming
Limits Media files modified upon upload
🖼️ 🎧 🎞️ 🎧 🎞️ 📺 Image
file size
Audio
file size
Video
file size
Image
size
Audio
duration
Video
duration
Lossy image
compression
Image
resizing
Lossy audio
compression
Lossy video
compression
Video
resizing
  Mastodon ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Ecko ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Fedibird ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Glitch-soc ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Hometown ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  koyu.space ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Smalltown ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Pleroma ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Akkoma ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Misskey ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Firefish ✖️ See file size limit
  FoundKey ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
✖️ See file size limit
  GoToSocial ✖️ See file size limit
  Pump.io ✖️ See file size limit
  Identi.ca ✖️ See file size limit
  Takahē ✖️ See file size limit
  Epicyon ✖️ See file size limit
  Micro.blog ✖️ See file size limit
  Tumblr ✖️
  Bonfire ✖️ See file size limit
  Swanye ✖️ See file size limit
  Threads
  Friendica ✖️ Unlimited ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  diaspora* ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Acropolis ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  (streams) Optional ✖️ Unlimited ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Socialhome ✖️ See file size limit
  Honk ✖️ See file size limit
  Hubzilla Optional ✖️ Unlimited ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  WriteFreely None None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ No uploads possible
  Plume ✖️ See file size limit
  WordPress ✖️ See file size limit
  Drupal ✖️ See file size limit
  Lemmy ✖️ See file size limit
  Kbin ✖️ See file size limit
  Pixelfed None None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit None None None None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Flickr None None ✔️ ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit None None None None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  PeerTube None None ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ ✔️ None See file size limit None ✖️
  Owncast None None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ ✔️ None See file size limit None ✖️
  Goldfish ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit
  Funkwhale None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit None None ✖️ ✖️
  CastoPod None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit None None ✖️ ✖️
  reel2bits None ✖️ ✖️ ✖️ See file size limit None None ✖️ ✖️
  Mobilizon ✖️ See file size limit
  Gancio ✖️ See file size limit
  BookWyrm ✖️ See file size limit
  Inventaire ✖️ See file size limit

Features

Name hover over emojis to see explanation
Default limits per post
(green=editable)
🔠 📊 🖼 ✏️ ♻️
  Mastodon 500 4 4 ✔️ ✔️
  Ecko 500 4 4 ✔️ ✔️
  Fedibird ✔️ ✔️
  Glitch-soc ✔️ ✔️
  Hometown ✔️ ✔️
  koyu.space ✔️ ✔️
  Smalltown ✔️ ✔️
  Pleroma 5000 20
  Akkoma
  Misskey 3000
  Firefish 3000 10 16
  FoundKey
1000 5 1
  GoToSocial 5000
  Pump.io
  Identi.ca
  Takahē
  Epicyon
  Micro.blog
  Tumblr ✔️
  Bonfire
  Swanye
  Threads 500
  Friendica unlimited ✖️ unlimited; embedding ✔️ ✔️
  diaspora*
  Acropolis
  (streams) unlimited unlimited unlimited; embedding ✔️ ✔️
  Socialhome
  Honk
  Hubzilla unlimited unlimited unlimited; embedding ✔️ ✔️
  WriteFreely ✔️ ✖️ unlimited; embeds externally hosted media ✔️ ✖️
  Plume ✔️ unlimited; embedding
  WordPress
  Drupal
  Lemmy ✖️
  Kbin
  Pixelfed 500 ✖️ 4 ✖️
  Flickr
  PeerTube ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
  Owncast
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon
  Gancio
  BookWyrm
  Inventaire

Note: "Unlimited" for post length doesn't necessarily mean unlimited, but the maximum character number may be so high that it doesn't matter. Hence, it can be adjusted by the admin. "Unlimited" for file size is within the available space on the server.

Technical

Name Inception Federating since last updated
(red=ended)
Protocols License
(green=copyleft)
(yellow=anti-capitalist)
(red=proprietary)
Git repository
(green=federated)
(red=evil)
Main developer(s) Written in
  Mastodon 2016 2016   ActivityPub AGPLv3 Github Eugen Rochko Ruby on Rails, JavaScript (React.js, Redux)
  Ecko 2021 2021   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHib
  Fedibird   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Glitch-soc   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Hometown   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  koyu.space   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Smalltown   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Pleroma 2016 2016   ActivityPub AGPLv3 git.pleroma.social
  Akkoma   ActivityPub AGPLv3 akkoma.dev
  Misskey 2019 2019   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Firefish   ActivityPub AGPLv3 Codeberg ThatOneCalculator NodeJS (Typescript), Vue 3
  FoundKey
2008 2008 ActivityPub, OStatus AGPLv3 notabug.org
  GoToSocial   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Pump.io Apache v2
  Identi.ca 2008 2008
  Takahē 2022 2022   ActivityPub BSD3 new GitHub
  Epicyon   ActivityPub AGPLv3 gitlab.com
  Micro.blog 2017   ActivityPub proprietary -
  Tumblr 2007 Announced proprietary -
  Bonfire AGPLv3 GitHub
  Swanye
  Threads 2023 Announced - proprietary -
  Friendica 2010 2010 ActivityPub, diaspora*, OStatus AGPLv3 GitHub PHP
  diaspora* 2010 2010 diaspora* AGPLv3 GitHub
  Acropolis diaspora* AGPLv3 https://github.com/magicstone-dev/acropolis GitHub
  (streams) 2021 2021 ActivityPub, Zot Public domain + various free licenses for third-party contributions Codeberg The community; Mike Macgirvin PHP
  Socialhome ActivityPub, diaspora*
  Honk   ActivityPub
  Hubzilla 2015 2015 ActivityPub, diaspora*,

OStatus, Zot

MIT License framagit Mario Vavti PHP
  WriteFreely 2018 2018   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Plume   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  WordPress 2003 ActivityPub, diaspora*, OStatus
  Drupal 2001 ActivityPub, diaspora*
  Lemmy   ActivityPub
  Kbin
  Pixelfed 2018 2018   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Flickr Announced - proprietary -
  PeerTube 2018 2018   ActivityPub AGPLv3 GitHub
  Owncast   ActivityPub MIT License GitHub
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale   ActivityPub AGPLv3 dev.funkwhale.audio
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon 2019 2019   ActivityPub AGPLv3 framagit
  Gancio
  BookWyrm ActivityPub, OStatus Anti-Capitalist Software License GitHub
  Inventaire   ActivityPub

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Name
  Mastodon
  Ecko
  Fedibird
  Glitch-soc
  Hometown
  koyu.space
  Smalltown
  Pleroma
  Akkoma
  Misskey
  Firefish
  FoundKey
  GoToSocial
  Pump.io
  Identi.ca
  Takahē
  Epicyon
  Micro.blog
  Tumblr
  Bonfire
  Swanye
  Threads
  Friendica
  diaspora*
  Acropolis
  (streams)
  Socialhome
  Honk
  Hubzilla
  WriteFreely
  Plume
  WordPress
  Drupal
  Lemmy
  Kbin
  Pixelfed
  Flickr
  PeerTube
  Owncast
  Goldfish
  Funkwhale
  CastoPod
  reel2bits
  Mobilizon
  Gancio
  BookWyrm
  Inventaire