Self-host zusam
0.6.1Private self-hosted forums for friends and family
- Stars
- 223
- Port
- 8080 (HTTP web interface)
- Requires
- Ffmpeg, SQLite
zusam/zusam
What is zusam?
Zusam lets you run your own private social space for friends and family. A PHP/Symfony backend serves a REST API backed by SQLite, while a Preact frontend provides the web interface. Members can post messages, upload photos and videos, and share links that automatically expand into previews for major media sites. Albums organize images, and any message can get a public share link. The UI works well on phones and tablets. You can deploy via Docker, Docker Compose, or manually on Debian with nginx or Apache. Licensed AGPL-3.0; still pre-1.0 so upgrades may break things.
Should you self-host zusam?
zusam scores 44/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #58 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums. It has 223 GitHub stars.
It shipped 2 stable releases in the past year. The latest, 0.6.1, came out on 2 March 2026. New versions land roughly every 6 weeks.
Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in PHP.
Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Discourse (83/100, 48 024 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See zusam vs Discourse side by side.
Features
- Link previews and media embeds
- Low server footprint
- Photo Albums
- Private group forums
- Public link generation
- REST API
- Video and image upload
zusam README
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