PairDropvsPixelFed
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| PairDrop | PixelFed | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 86 in File Sharing | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 11 711 | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +252 | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 15 |
| Latest release | — | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
PairDrop scores 75/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for PairDrop.
If you want the quickest setup, PairDrop is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
PairDrop is growing faster right now (+252 stars in 30 days).
PairDrop details →PixelFed details →
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