PixelFedvsZulip
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| PixelFed | Zulip | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 7 131 | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +24 | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 6 |
| Latest release | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Zulip scores 82/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.
If you want the quickest setup, Zulip is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
Zulip is growing faster right now (+190 stars in 30 days).
PixelFed details →Zulip details →