A small compendium of the Fediverse platforms I use/know well.

In the past few days, I revisited some of my old Fediverse instances since some friends asked me to help them set up a new one. I also took the chance to perform maintenance on some leftover instances. Here’s my experience:

Akkoma: My oldest instance still running, opened in 2022. It was offline for a few months (3/4). I updated everything to the latest version and restarted it. I’m not sure why, but it’s extremely slow, with a heavy load on Postgres and many queries just to open the main page. I like Akkoma - I’ll investigate further.

GoToSocial: I updated a friend’s instance - GoToSocial itself was up-to-date, but the underlying system wasn’t. I noticed that once it exceeds 2000 followings, it becomes a bit slow. The database is PostgreSQL, but that’s not the issue. The GoToSocial process becomes somewhat heavy on the VPS. Still, it’s very usable and a software with great potential, in my opinion. The Mastodon API is implemented quite well and works with the major software.

Mitra: It seems well-built. The person had around 1000 followers and followings on a Mastodon account, which they moved from a large instance. No speed issues, though sending a message makes the server “heavy” for a bit, but it’s temporary. The Mastodon API is partially implemented, but the software is advancing quickly, and I find its native interface quite pleasant.

Snac2: I’ve always had a soft spot for Snac2. The lack of a database and some design choices make it an excellent solution for small instances. For example, sending posts to all known instances increases visibility and interaction. Its basic, JavaScript-free interface is very clear, though it might not be the best for those used to Mastodon. But the Mastodon API is improving version by version, and I think the developer is doing an excellent job. It struggles a bit with larger numbers, but that’s due to the underlying file system, not the software itself. If “move” support (both in and out) were added, I would recommend it to anyone starting self-hosting for single-user or small community instances because “move” is one of the options that gives the most freedom in Fediverse software.

Mastodon: My “old” personal instance was stuck at version 4.1.x and had been offline for a few months. I updated the FreeBSD Jail and upgraded Mastodon to 4.2.12 and then to 4.3.0-beta1. No issues. I also helped a friend (who had an old Pleroma-based instance they barely used) migrate. This user has around 5000 followers and followings - Mastodon is running on FreeBSD on a VPS (arm64) for just over 3 euros a month, with no significant issues (apart from media storage, but that’s not Mastodon’s fault). Mastodon is sometimes said to be heavy, and that’s partly true, but its modularity ensures that even in cases of overload, queues may slow down, but navigation and the local timeline remain reasonably fast. I think this is a good thing for any larger-scale use of an instance.

In short, I think things are moving in the right direction, and the software is evolving nicely. Well done, devs!

#Fediverse #Akkoma #GoToSocial #Mitra #Snac2 #Snac #Mastodon #SelfHosting #InstanceManagement #FreeBSD #OpenSource

  • grimer@lemmy.world
    1·
    2 months ago

    Would you mind pointing me to the Snac2 repo that you use? I’ve noticed a few forks and am curious which you’d recommend. Thanks!

  • Poes@mastodon.bsd.cafe
    1·
    2 months ago

    @stefano@bsd.cafe I ysing Gotosocial for my primary account but lack of ability to edit post is so painful for me because I always tipo anywehre.

    Snac2 is good and fast, it’s good except the timeline is messed up even I open it using enafore or phanpy. But I love snac2, I hope someday I can access the API using scope and auth.

    Oh Gotosocial also doesn’t support scoped auth right now.

  • vv221@fediverse.dotslashplay.it
    0·
    2 months ago

    I’ve always had a soft spot for Snac2.

    By far my favourite option. Without snac2 and the ability to self-host it very easily, I would not be on the Fediverse today. Bonus points for the main developer being very easy to get in touch with, and very reactive when problems are reported.

    Keeping in mind that I am not coming from Mastodon or Twitter. Snac2 is my first experience as an active contributor to the Fediverse and more generally to micro-blogging.