Compare software

Plebbit vs Lemmy: catalog facts
PlebbitLemmy

Best for: People wanting censorship-resistant, user-run discussion boards

Best for: Federated link aggregator and discussion platform

Free

Free to use.

Free

Free and open source under the AGPL. Hosting is separate.

Web Web, Self-hosted
  • No central servers or global admins
  • Communities owned and moderated by their creators
All 3 strengths for Plebbit
  • No central servers or global admins
  • Communities owned and moderated by their creators
  • Multiple clients with different layouts
  • Communities federate, so a single server going down does not end the network
  • Lightweight Rust server that runs on modest hardware
  • Peer-to-peer design can be slower than central platforms
  • Small user base compared with Reddit
All 3 limitations for Plebbit
  • Peer-to-peer design can be slower than central platforms
  • Small user base compared with Reddit
  • No global moderation means content quality varies
  • Content volume is far below the centralised platforms it resembles
  • Moderation quality varies sharply between instances
Web application Self-hosted, Web application
Not open source Open source
License not stated License: AGPL-3.0
No account needed Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet Not stated if it works offline
Sources for Plebbit

Catalog checked October 2, 2026

Sources for Lemmy

Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.