Why host your own?

The difference between Friendica and many commercial open source projects on the Internet is this:

They usually offer a free public service - so do we, run by volunteers.

They usually offer an enhanced package - so do we, but we don't make you pay for it. It's also free and we encourage you to make use of it.

For resource reasons, our public servers may not unleash the full power of Friendica. By downloading the free code and running your own site, you can choose exactly which options you want for yourself. And you have a type of security and freedom that is special - the admin you trust with your data is you! No one else controls you. We don't have the slightest say in anything you do with your site.

And that is exactly what we are aiming for!

General Features
	Personal Server	Public Server
"Like" something
"Dislike" something
Birthday notifications
Events calendar
Selectable themes		Limited
Multiple profiles
Edit sent post/comment
Sharing
	Personal Server	Public Server
Share public posts
Share public photos
Share private posts
Share private photos
Private conversation groups
Send private messages (mail)
"Wall-to-wall" posting
Photo albums		Limited upload size
Compatibility
	Private Server	Public Server
View Friendica in stream
View Facebook in stream		Often disabled, restricted or delayed
View Twitter in stream
View Status.Net in stream
View Diaspora in stream		Varies by admin
View blogs/RSS in stream
View email in stream / use live chat		Varies by admin
Implementation
	Private Server	Public Server
Decentralised
Extensibility via plugins		Admin's discretion
External access API
Expire posts if desired