OwncastvsForem Selfhost
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Owncast | Forem Selfhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 4 in Live Streaming | #2 of 6 in Community |
| GitHub stars | 11 631 | 1 480 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +78 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.3.0 · 2 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Jinja |
Which one should you pick?
Owncast scores 73/100 against 51/100 for Forem Selfhost, so it is the safer default.
Owncast ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Forem Selfhost.
If you want the quickest setup, Owncast is easier to run; Forem Selfhost needs more configuration.
Owncast is growing faster right now (+78 stars in 30 days).
Owncast details →Forem Selfhost details →