Elgg

Self-Hosted

Open-source social networking engine for building custom communities

Overview

Elgg is an open-source social networking engine designed to create custom online communities, intranets, or niche social platforms. It offers core features like user profiles, activity streams, groups, file sharing, and messaging, with extensibility via thousands of community plugins (e.g., forums, e-learning tools). Deployable on self-hosted servers using PHP/MySQL/MariaDB, it supports Docker for simplified setup and integrates with common web stacks. Customize via themes to match branding and extend capabilities with plugins for tailored use cases.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  elgg:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: elgg
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Build custom social communities or intranets
Extensible with plugins and customizable themes
Core social tools (profiles, groups, activity streams)
Privacy-focused self-hosted data control

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Elgg hard to install?

Elgg requires a PHP/MySQL stack and basic web hosting knowledge. It can be installed manually or via community-maintained Docker images for simpler setup. Documentation and guides are available, but beginners may find Docker deployments more accessible than manual configuration.

? Is it a good alternative to Facebook Groups?

Yes—Elgg is ideal for users wanting full control over their community data (unlike Facebook Groups). It allows deep customization of features and branding, making it perfect for niche communities or organizational intranets where generic SaaS platforms fall short.

? Is it completely free?

Elgg is fully open source under the MIT License, so it’s free to download, use, modify, and self-host. There are no licensing fees, though you may incur costs for hosting (server, domain) or premium third-party plugins/themes.

Top Alternatives

Facebook Groups Search Google

Slack (for internal communities) Search Google

Discord (niche interest groups) Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Communication - Social Networks and Forums

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ 100% open source (MIT License)
⊕ Highly flexible for diverse use cases (niche communities, organizational intranets)
⊕ Active plugin ecosystem for added functionality
⊕ Full control over user data and platform branding

Cons

⊖ Requires technical knowledge for setup and advanced customization
⊖ Plugin quality varies (some may lack updates)
⊖ No managed hosting option (self-host only)
⊖ Steeper learning curve for non-technical users