Compare software

Lemmy vs Discourse: catalog facts
Lemmy	Discourse
Free Free and open source under the AGPL. Hosting is separate.	Freemium Self-hosting is free; hosted plans are paid and start with a free trial.
Web, Self-hosted	Android, iOS, Web, Self-hosted
Communities federate, so a single server going down does not end the network Lightweight Rust server that runs on modest hardware	Can be self-hosted from the public source code Covers forums, voting on ideas and team chat in one place
Content volume is far below the centralised platforms it resembles Moderation quality varies sharply between instances	Self-hosting needs a server and ongoing maintenance Hosted plans are paid after the trial
Self-hosted, Web application	Downloadable app, Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License: AGPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

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