head to head · open source
symphony vs Misago
symphony has 2,952 GitHub stars, 508 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 20 days ago. Misago has 2,781 stars, 557 forks, 171 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. symphony leads on adoption by 6% (2,952 vs 2,781 stars). symphony is written in Java under AGPL-3.0; Misago is written in Python under GPL-2.0. symphony has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, Misago 20%. Misago was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (forum), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| symphony | Misago | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.0K | ★ 2.8K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-16 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 508 | ⑂ 557 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick symphony if
- You weight community size — 3.0K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Misago if
- You want the Misago feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Misago fits your workflow better
About symphony
下一代的社区系统，为未来而构建 English 💡 简介 Symphony（[ˈs ɪmf əni]，n.交响乐）是一个现代化的社区平台，因为它： 实现了面向内容讨论的论坛 实现了面向知识问答的社区 包含了面向用户分享、交友、游戏的社交网络 100% 开源 欢迎到 Sym 官方讨论区了解更多。同时也欢迎关注 B3log 开源社区微信公众号 B3log开源 ： ⚡ 动机 很多社区论坛系统： 界面风格老式，没有跟上时代发展的步伐 缺少创新、好玩的特性，缺少现代化的交互元素和用户体验 缺乏考虑实际运营需求，管理功能过于单一 细节不够精致、缺乏长期维护 ✨ 特性 Sym 简介幻灯片 Sym 功能点脑图 内容编辑器 Markdown（GFM） Emoji 上传文件 图片 文件 单独渲染 MP3 单独渲染视频 支持录音 剪贴板处理 粘贴内容处理为 Markdown 粘贴图片自动重新上传 @用户 数学公式（LaTeX）、流程图支持 快捷键支持 工具栏 表情 粗体 斜体 引用 无序列表 有序列表 链接 上传 预览 全屏 编辑模式 传统的 Markdown 分屏编辑预览 保留 Markdown 标记符的即时渲染 类富文本编辑器的所见即所得 注册 用户名 Email 邀请码（如果管理员启用） 邀请链接 验证码 邮件验证 新手向导 上传头像 关注标签 关注用户 帮助指引 登录 账户（用户名/Email） 密码 忘记密码 Email 验证码…
read the full symphony overview →
About Misago
Misago ====== Development Status: 🍌 Bananas 🍌 Misago aims to be complete, featured and modern forum solution that has no fear to say 'NO' to common and outdated opinions about how forum software should be made and what it should do. Homepage: Documentation: Code & BugTracker: Screenshots Production use Misago implements all features considered "must have" on live internet forum: Your users may register accounts, set avatars, change options and edit their profiles. They have the option to reset a forgotten password. Sign in with Facebook, Google, Github, Steam, Blizzard.net or any other over 50 supported OAuth…
read the full Misago overview →
More in Content & Publishing
Related comparisons
More Community Platforms projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Community Platforms field.
Frequently asked questions
Is symphony or Misago more popular?
symphony has 2,952 GitHub stars and Misago has 2,781. symphony has the larger community by that measure.
Are symphony and Misago free?
Both are open source. symphony is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Misago under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between symphony and Misago?
symphony is written in Java and Misago in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, symphony or Misago?
Choose symphony if you want the larger community (2,952 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Misago if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.