# MacOS vs PixelFed

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

| | MacOS | PixelFed |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 15 in Virtualization | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 21 690 ✓ | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +116 ✓ | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 15 |
| Latest release | v3.12 · 21 Aug 2026 | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Shell | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

MacOS scores 76/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.

MacOS ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for PixelFed.

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

MacOS is growing faster right now (+116 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [MacOS](https://selfhost.directory/project/macos) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/macos.md)
- [PixelFed](https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/macos-vs-pixelfed