Nova ServervsPixelFed
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Nova Server | PixelFed | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 46/100 | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #20 of 25 in Proxy | #12 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 355 | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 15 |
| Latest release | v1.92.2 · 24 Oct 2026 | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Shell | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
PixelFed scores 64/100 against 46/100 for Nova Server, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Nova Server.
If you want the quickest setup, Nova Server is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
PixelFed is growing faster right now (+24 stars in 30 days).
Nova Server details →PixelFed details →
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