Compare software

Elgg vs Bonfire: catalog facts
Elgg	Bonfire
Free Free and open source.	Free Self-hosting is free; cooperative hosting is also offered.
Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Granular access control for private networks and intranets Extensive plugin and theme system	Federated with the open social web Modular building blocks for different community needs
Building a polished site often needs PHP development Requires a PHP and MySQL server	Self-hosting needs some sysadmin experience Smaller ecosystem than Mastodon
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.