List of Top Free Open Source & Self Hosted Application for Communication - Social Networks and Forums

Social Networking and Forum software.

Akkoma – Federated microblogging server with Mastodon, GNU social, and ActivityPub compatibility. AGPL-3.0 Elixir
Anahita – Open Source Social Networking Framework and Platform. GPL-3.0 PHP
Answer – An open-source knowledge-based community software. You can use it to quickly build your Q&A community for product technical support, customer support, user communication, and more. Apache-2.0 Docker/Go
AsmBB – A fast, SQLite-powered forum engine written in ASM. EUPL-1.2 Assembly
Bibliogram ⚠ – An alternative front-end for Instagram. AGPL-3.0 Nodejs
Buddycloud – Tools, libraries, services and a community to build user-to-user, group and social messaging into your app. Saves time. Scales up. Supports you. Apache-2.0 Java
BuddyPress – Powerful plugin that takes your WordPress.org powered site beyond the blog with social-network features like user profiles, activity streams, user groups, and more. GPL-2.0 PHP
Cactus Comments – Cactus Comments is a federated comment system for the open web built on Matrix. GPL-3.0 Python
Chirpy – Chirpy is an open-source, privacy-friendly and customizable Disqus (comment system) alternate. AGPL-3.0 Docker/Nodejs
Commento – Commento is a discussion platform that you can embed on your blog, news articles, and any place where you want your readers to add comments. MIT Go
Coral – A better commenting experience from Vox Media. Apache-2.0 Nodejs
diaspora* – Distributed social networking server. AGPL-3.0 Ruby
Discourse – Advanced forum / community solution based on Ruby and JS. GPL-2.0 Ruby
Elgg – Powerful open source social networking engine. GPL-2.0 PHP
Enigma 1/2 BBS – Enigma 1/2 is a modern, multi-platform BBS engine with unlimited “callers” and legacy DOS door game support. BSD-2-Clause Shell/Docker/Nodejs
Flarum – Delightfully simple forums. Flarum is the next-generation forum software that makes online discussion fun again. MIT PHP
FlaskBB – FlaskBB is forum software written in Python using the microframework Flask. You can easily create new topics, posts and send other users private messages. It also includes basic administration and moderation tools. BSD-3-Clause Python
Friendica – Social Communication Server. AGPL-3.0 PHP
GNU social – Social communication software for both public and private communications. AGPL-3.0 PHP
GoToSocial – ActivityPub federated social network server implementing the Mastodon client API. AGPL-3.0 Docker/Go
Hubzilla – Decentralized identity, privacy, publishing, sharing, cloud storage, and communications/social platform. MIT PHP
HumHub – Flexible kit for private social networks. AGPL-3.0 PHP
Isso – Lightweight commenting server written in Python and Javascript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus. MIT Python/Docker
kbin – Federated content aggregator and microblogging platform. AGPL-3.0 PHP/Nodejs/Docker
Lemmy – A link aggregator / reddit clone for the fediverse. Reddit alternative built in Rust. AGPL-3.0 Rust
Libreddit ⚠ – Private front-end for Reddit written in Rust. AGPL-3.0 Rust
Loomio – Loomio is a collaborative decision-making tool that makes it easy for anyone to participate in decisions which affect them. AGPL-3.0 Ruby
Mastodon – Federated microblogging server, an alternative to GNU social. AGPL-3.0 Ruby
Misago – Misago is fully featured modern forum application that is fast, scalable and responsive. GPL-2.0 Python
Misskey – Decentralized app-like microblogging server/SNS for the Fediverse, using the ActivityPub protocol like GNU social and Mastodon. AGPL-3.0 Nodejs
Movim – Modern, federated social network based on XMPP, with a fully featured group-chat, subscriptions and microblogging. AGPL-3.0 PHP
MyBB – Free, extensible forum software package. LGPL-3.0 PHP
Nitter ⚠ – A alternative front end to twitter. AGPL-3.0 Nimble
NodeBB – Forum software built for the modern web. GPL-3.0 Nodejs
Orange Forum – Orange Forum is an easy to deploy forum that has minimal dependencies and uses very little javascript. BSD-3-Clause Go
OSSN – Open Source Social Network (OSSN) is a social networking software written in PHP. It allows you to make a social networking website and helps your members build social relationships, with people who share similar professional or personal interests. GPL-2.0 PHP
phpBB – Flat-forum bulletin board software solution that can be used to stay in touch with a group of people or can power your entire website. GPL-2.0 PHP
PixelFed – Pixelfed is an open-source, federated platform alternate to Instagram. AGPL-3.0 PHP
Pleroma – Federated microblogging server, Mastodon, GNU social, & ActivityPub compatible. AGPL-3.0 Elixir
qpixel – Q&A-based community knowledge-sharing software. AGPL-3.0 Ruby
remark42 – A lightweight and simple comment engine, which doesn’t spy on users. It can be embedded into blogs, articles or any other place where readers add comments. MIT Go
Retrospring – A free, open-source social network following the Q/A (question and answer) principle of sites like Formspring, ask.fm or CuriousCat. AGPL-3.0 Ruby/Nodejs
schnack – Schnack is simple self-hosted node app for Disqus-like drop-in commenting on static websites. LIL-1.0 Nodejs
Scoold – Stack Overflow in a JAR. An enterprise-ready Q&A platform with full-text search, SAML, LDAP integration and social login support. Apache-2.0 Java
Simple Machines Forum – Free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes. BSD-3-Clause PHP
Socialhome – Federated and decentralized profile builder and social network engine. AGPL-3.0 Python
Takahē – Federated microblogging server. Mastodon, & ActivityPub compatible. BSD-3-Clause Docker
Talkyard – Create a community, where your users can suggest ideas and get questions answered. And have friendly open-ended discussions and chat (Slack/StackOverflow/Discourse/Reddit/Disqus hybrid). AGPL-3.0 Scala
Teddit ⚠ – Alternative Reddit front-end focused on privacy. AGPL-3.0 Nodejs
Thredded – Forums, feature-rich and simple. MIT Ruby
Tokumei – Anonymous microblogging platform. ISC rc
twister – Fully decentralized P2P microblogging platform leveraging the free software implementations of Bitcoin and BitTorrent protocols. MIT C++
Vanilla Forums – Simple and flexible forum software. GPL-2.0 PHP
yarn.social – Self-Hosted, Twitter™-like Decentralised micro-logging platform. No ads, no tracking, your content, your data. MIT Go
Zusam – Free and open-source way to self-host private forums for groups of friends or family. AGPL-3.0 PHP