Freedom251 › Community Platforms
CommonPub
What CommonPub is
CommonPub is a free, open-source ActivityPub platform for maker and hardware communities. It runs on the web and can be self-hosted. Makers can document projects with block editors, parts lists, wiring diagrams, build steps, and code blocks. Community hubs organize discussions, galleries, learning paths, and contests for communities, products, or companies. Learning paths can include modules, lessons, quizzes, certificates, and progress tracking; contests can use prizes, judges, and community voting. ActivityPub federation lets users follow makers across instances, and moderation tools are available. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and its maker describes deployments using Docker, PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage. Users retain ownership of their work, and CommonPub says it does not sell their content or use it to train models. Public posts may be copied to other servers, where CommonPub cannot remove those copies. The hosted service may experience downtime or data loss, so users are advised to keep their own backups.
Who it suits
CommonPub suits maker communities that want federated publishing and project documentation, whether hosted on the web or self-hosted. Its learning paths and contests may also suit groups sharing structured learning or community activities.
What it does well
- Free and open source under AGPL-3.0.
- Supports project documentation with diagrams, parts lists, and code blocks.
- Learning paths include quizzes, certificates, and progress tracking.
- Moderation tools are available.
What to know first
- Public federated posts may be copied to other servers.
- Hosted availability and data retention are not guaranteed.
- Users are advised to maintain their own backups.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free and open source | — | Free |
As commonpub.io lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
CommonPub combines maker documentation, community hubs, and ActivityPub federation at no listed price. Consider the limits on recalling federated posts and the hosted service’s availability when choosing between hosting options.
Facts from CommonPub's own pages
- Build documentation
- Makers can document builds with block editors, parts lists, wiring diagrams, build steps, and code blocks. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Community hubs
- Hubs provide spaces for communities, products, or companies with discussions, content galleries, learning paths, and contests. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Content ownership
- The terms say users retain ownership of their work and CommonPub does not sell it or train models on it. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Contests
- Contests can include prizes, judges, and community voting. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Data and content
- The terms say users own their work and CommonPub does not sell their content or train models on it. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Event hosting
- Yes · commonpub.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Federated content limit
- The terms say public posts may be copied to other servers and those copies cannot be recalled by CommonPub. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Federation
- CommonPub is built on ActivityPub and lets users follow makers across instances. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · commonpub.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Hosted service reliability
- The terms describe the hosted service as provided as is and say CommonPub cannot promise it will never go down or lose data. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The terms describe CommonPub as a federated publishing platform for maker and hardware communities. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Learning
- Learning paths include modules, lessons, quizzes, certificates, and progress tracking. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The CommonPub software is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Maker publishing
- Makers can document builds with rich block editors, parts lists, wiring diagrams, build steps, and code blocks. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Price and license
- CommonPub says it is free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Product
- CommonPub is an open ActivityPub federation protocol and platform for self-hosted maker communities. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Reliability and backups
- The hosted service is provided as is, may experience downtime or data loss, and the terms recommend users keep their own backups. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Self-hosting
- The maker says CommonPub can be deployed with Docker, PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The terms direct questions through commonpub.io or its community channels, including Discord and GitHub. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Support contact
- The terms direct questions to CommonPub or its community channels, including Discord and GitHub. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
- What it is
- CommonPub describes itself as an open ActivityPub federation platform for self-hosted maker communities. · commonpub.io, 12 Oct 2026
Where CommonPub stands on Freedom251
- Community Platforms#35 of 126