# Bitfocus Companion vs PixelFed

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Bitfocus Companion | PixelFed |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 68/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #10 of 104 in Home Automation | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 2 345 | 7 131 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +46 ✓ | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 ✓ | 15 |
| Latest release | v5.1.1 · 21 Oct 2026 | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

Bitfocus Companion scores 68/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.

Bitfocus Companion ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for PixelFed.

If you want the quickest setup, Bitfocus Companion is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Bitfocus Companion](https://selfhost.directory/project/bitfocus-companion) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bitfocus-companion.md)
- [PixelFed](https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bitfocus-companion-vs-pixelfed