# Lemmy vs PanWatch

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

| | Lemmy | PanWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #3 of 9 in Fintech |
| GitHub stars | 14 653 ✓ | 2 272 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +44 | +121 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 12 ✓ |
| Latest release | 0.19.21 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ | 0.20.0 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Lemmy scores 75/100 against 62/100 for PanWatch, so it is the safer default.

PanWatch ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Lemmy.

If you want the quickest setup, PanWatch is easier to run; Lemmy needs more configuration.

PanWatch is growing faster right now (+121 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Lemmy](https://selfhost.directory/project/lemmy) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/lemmy.md)
- [PanWatch](https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/lemmy-vs-panwatch