head to head · open source
Bluesky vs Loops
Bluesky has 18,364 GitHub stars, 2,872 forks, 2,400 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Loops has 465 stars, 63 forks, 42 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Bluesky leads on adoption by 3,849% (18,364 vs 465 stars). Bluesky is written in TypeScript under MIT; Loops is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. Bluesky has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, Loops 14%. Bluesky was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Bluesky | Loops | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 18K | ★ 465 |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 63 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Bluesky if
- You weight community size — 18K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Loops if
- You want the Loops feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Loops fits your workflow better
About Bluesky
Bluesky Social App Welcome friends! This is the codebase for the Bluesky Social app. Get the app itself: Web: bsky.app iOS: App Store Android: Play Store Development Resources This is a React Native application, written in the TypeScript programming language. It builds on the atproto TypeScript packages (like @atproto/api ), which are also open source, but in a different git repository. There is a small amount of Go language source code (in ./bskyweb/ ), for a web service that returns the React Native Web application. The Build Instructions are a good place to get started with the app itself. The Authenticated…
read the full Bluesky overview →
About Loops
Loops The short video sharing platform for the social web. Federated, open source, creator friendly, and powered by ActivityPub . Website · API Documentation · Installation · Server List About Loops Loops is a federated, open source platform for sharing short videos. It gives creators and communities a modern short video experience without locking them into a centralized platform. This repository contains the Loops server and web application. Communities can operate their own Loops instance while connecting with people across Loops, Pixelfed, Mastodon, and other compatible ActivityPub platforms. Highlights…
read the full Loops overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bluesky or Loops more popular?
Bluesky has 18,364 GitHub stars and Loops has 465. Bluesky has the larger community by that measure.
Are Bluesky and Loops free?
Both are open source. Bluesky is licensed under MIT and Loops under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Bluesky and Loops?
Bluesky is written in TypeScript and Loops in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Bluesky or Loops?
Choose Bluesky if you want the larger community (18,364 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Loops if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.