Noosfero

Self-Hosted

Open-source social platform with conference management capabilities

Overview

Noosfero is an open-source web platform merging social networking with robust conference management tools. It enables organizing events with scheduling, attendee registration, paper submission/review workflows, and community engagement features like forums and profiles. Self-hostable via Docker or manual Ruby on Rails setup, it gives full control over data privacy—ideal for academic conferences, workshops, or community events. Customizable event pages and branding options let users tailor the platform to their conference needs without relying on proprietary SaaS tools.

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:
  noosfero:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: noosfero
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Conference event scheduling & agenda creation
Paper submission and peer review workflows
Attendee registration & profile management
Community engagement tools (forums, social networking)
Customizable event pages with branding options

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Noosfero hard to install?

Noosfero supports Docker deployment for simplified setup, accessible to users with basic container knowledge. Manual installation requires setting up a Ruby on Rails environment (Ruby 2.7+, PostgreSQL) and following official docs—this may be challenging for non-technical users.

? Is it a good alternative to ConfTool?

Yes—Noosfero offers open-source, self-hosted conference features like paper review and registration for free, unlike ConfTool's paid plans. It adds social networking elements for community engagement, though ConfTool has more specialized, out-of-the-box conference integrations.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—Noosfero is licensed under AGPLv3, so it’s fully free to use, modify, and self-host without any hidden fees or subscription costs.

Top Alternatives

ConfTool Search Google

Eventbrite for Conferences Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Conference Management

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused self-hosting (full data control)
⊕ Open-source (free to use, modify)
⊕ Combines conference tools with social networking
⊕ No licensing fees or subscriptions

Cons

⊖ Requires technical setup (Ruby/Rails knowledge for manual install)
⊖ UI may feel outdated compared to modern SaaS tools
⊖ Limited out-of-the-box third-party integrations