PixelFedvsTerraforming Mars
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| PixelFed | Terraforming Mars | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #12 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 14 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 7 131 | 961 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +24 | +9 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
PixelFed scores 64/100 against 62/100 for Terraforming Mars, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Terraforming Mars.
If you want the quickest setup, Terraforming Mars is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
PixelFed is growing faster right now (+24 stars in 30 days).
PixelFed details →Terraforming Mars details →