MainsailvsPixelFed
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mainsail | PixelFed | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 65/100 | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 22 in 3D Printing | #12 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 2 236 | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 | 15 |
| Latest release | v2.19.0 · 27 Aug 2026 | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Vue | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
Mainsail scores 65/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 8 for Mainsail.
If you want the quickest setup, Mainsail is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
Mainsail details →PixelFed details →