Fider vs LogChimp: Best Self-Hosted Feedback Platforms 2026

When your product grows, so does the flood of feature requests, bug reports, and user suggestions. Scattered across email inboxes, Slack threads, and support tickets, valuable feedback gets lost. Commercial platforms like Canny, UserVoice, and ProductBoard solve this problem — but at $50–$300+/month.

This guide compares the two most mature open-source alternatives: Fider and LogChimp. Both let you collect, prioritize, and act on user feedback without handing your data to a third party or paying recurring fees. We will cover features, architecture, deployment, and help you decide which tool fits your team.

For related reading, see our project management comparison (Plane vs Huly vs Taiga) for tracking work items derived from feedback, and our form builders guide for alternative feedback collection methods. If you also need real-time customer communication, check our live chat comparison (Chatwoot vs Papercups vs Tiledesk).

Why Self-Host a Feedback Platform

A centralized feedback board gives every user a voice while keeping your team organized. The core benefits of self-hosting include:

• Full data ownership — no vendor lock-in, no data sold to third parties, no account suspensions
• Cost savings — commercial feedback tools cost $50–$300/month; self-hosted alternatives are free
• Custom branding — match your company’s visual identity, use your own domain
• Integration control — connect to your internal tools, webhooks, and APIs without rate limits
• Privacy compliance — keep user data on your infrastructure to meet GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2 requirements

Fider at a Glance

Fider (getfider/fider) is the most popular open-source feedback platform with 4,221 GitHub stars (as of April 2026). Written in Go with a TypeScript/React frontend, it is a single binary deployment that requires only PostgreSQL.

Key features:

• Public and private feedback boards
• Post ideas, vote, and comment
• Status tracking (Open, Planned, Started, Completed, Declined)
• Custom fields and tags for categorization
• OAuth login (Google, GitHub, Facebook, Azure AD)
• Email notifications for updates
• Webhook integrations (Slack, custom)
• Multi-tenant support — run multiple boards on one instance
• Admin dashboard with moderation tools
• REST API for programmatic access
• Single Sign-On (SSO) via SAML/OAuth

Fider is production-ready and used by companies like PostHog, Supabase, and Appsmith for their public roadmaps. The project was first released in 2017 and has maintained consistent development with releases every few weeks.

LogChimp at a Glance

LogChimp (logchimp/logchimp) positions itself as an open-source alternative to Canny, ProductBoard, and UserJot. With 1,083 GitHub stars (as of April 2026), it is a TypeScript-based monorepo running on Node.js with PostgreSQL and Valkey (Redis-compatible).

Key features:

• Feedback collection with upvoting
• Roadmap management with status columns
• Team collaboration tools
• Email notifications
• REST API
• Multi-tenant architecture
• Admin dashboard with analytics
• OAuth authentication
• Self-hosting ready with Docker Compose

LogChimp uses a modern microservice-style architecture with separate API and frontend (theme) containers, plus PostgreSQL for data persistence and Valkey for caching. The project was created by CodeCarrot and continues active development.

Feature Comparison

Architecture & Resource Requirements

Fider

Fider runs as a single Go binary with an embedded static frontend. It connects to PostgreSQL for all data storage. This simple architecture means minimal resource requirements:

• CPU: 1 core is sufficient for small-to-medium boards
• Memory: ~200–400 MB for the Fider process
• Database: PostgreSQL 12+ (~100 MB RAM baseline)
• Disk: Minimal — text-based feedback posts use very little storage

The single-binary design makes Fider straightforward to deploy and upgrade. You simply replace the binary and restart.

LogChimp

LogChimp uses a multi-service architecture with four containers in its community Docker Compose:

1. API (ghcr.io/logchimp/logchimp/api) — Node.js backend on port 8000
2. Theme (ghcr.io/logchimp/logchimp/theme) — React frontend on port 3000
3. Database — PostgreSQL 12
4. Cache — Valkey 8 (Redis-compatible, port 6379)

Resource requirements are higher:

• CPU: 2+ cores recommended (multiple services)
• Memory: ~500 MB–1 GB total (Node.js + PostgreSQL + Valkey)
• Database: PostgreSQL 12 (~100 MB RAM)
• Cache: Valkey (~50–100 MB RAM)
• Disk: Moderate — separate container images add ~500 MB

The trade-off is flexibility: the API and frontend can be scaled independently, and the cache layer improves performance under load.

Deployment Guide

Deploying Fider with Docker Compose

Fider’s official Docker image is available on Docker Hub. Here is a production-ready docker-compose.yml based on the official deployment pattern:

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version: "3"
services:
  fider:
    image: getfider/fider:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      BASE_URL: "https://feedback.yourdomain.com"
      DATABASE_URL: "postgres://fider:fider_password@database:5432/fider?sslmode=disable"
      JWT_SECRET: "replace-with-random-32-char-string-here"
      EMAIL_NOREPLY: "noreply@yourdomain.com"
      EMAIL_SMTP_HOST: "smtp.yourdomain.com"
      EMAIL_SMTP_PORT: "587"
      EMAIL_SMTP_USERNAME: "your-smtp-user"
      EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD: "your-smtp-password"
    depends_on:
      database:
        condition: service_healthy

  database:
    image: postgres:17
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: fider
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: fider_password
      POSTGRES_DB: fider
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U fider -d fider"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  pgdata:

Create a .env file with your secrets, or set the environment variables directly. Then start:

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docker compose up -d

The feedback board will be available at http://localhost:3000. For production, place a reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy, or Traefik) in front to handle TLS termination. For reverse proxy configuration details, see our CDN and caching guide.

Deploying LogChimp with Docker Compose

LogChimp provides a community Docker Compose in its docker/community/ directory. Here is a simplified production setup based on the official compose:

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name: "logchimp"

x-api-image: &api-image
  image: ghcr.io/logchimp/logchimp/api:latest

services:
  cache:
    image: valkey/valkey:8
    restart: unless-stopped
    command: ["valkey-server", "--save", "60", "1", "--loglevel", "warning"]
    volumes:
      - valkey-data:/data
    networks:
      - logchimp

  db:
    image: postgres:17
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: logchimp
      POSTGRES_USER: logchimp
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: changeme-use-a-strong-password
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U logchimp -d logchimp"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
    volumes:
      - postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
      - logchimp

  migrator:
    <<: *api-image
    command: ["./scripts/migrate.sh"]
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    environment:
      LOGCHIMP_DB_HOST: db
      LOGCHIMP_DB_DATABASE: logchimp
      LOGCHIMP_DB_PORT: 5432
      LOGCHIMP_DB_USER: logchimp
      LOGCHIMP_DB_PASSWORD: changeme-use-a-strong-password
    networks:
      - logchimp

  api:
    <<: *api-image
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
      cache:
        condition: service_started
      migrator:
        condition: service_completed_successfully
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
      LOGCHIMP_API_HOST: 0.0.0.0
      LOGCHIMP_IS_SELF_HOSTED: true
      LOGCHIMP_SECRET_KEY: "replace-with-random-64-char-string"
      LOGCHIMP_MACHINE_SIGNATURE: "generate-a-unique-identifier"
      LOGCHIMP_WEB_URL: "http://localhost:3000"
      LOGCHIMP_DB_HOST: db
      LOGCHIMP_DB_DATABASE: logchimp
      LOGCHIMP_DB_PORT: 5432
      LOGCHIMP_DB_USER: logchimp
      LOGCHIMP_DB_PASSWORD: changeme-use-a-strong-password
      LOGCHIMP_VALKEY_URL: "redis://cache:6379"
      LOGCHIMP_MAIL_HOST: "smtp.yourdomain.com"
      LOGCHIMP_MAIL_USER: "your-smtp-user"
      LOGCHIMP_MAIL_PASSWORD: "your-smtp-password"
      LOGCHIMP_MAIL_PORT: "587"
    networks:
      - logchimp

  theme:
    image: ghcr.io/logchimp/logchimp/theme:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - api
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
      VITE_WEBAPP_URL: "http://localhost:3000"
      VITE_API_URL: "http://localhost:8000"
      VITE_IS_SELF_HOSTED: true
    networks:
      - logchimp

networks:
  logchimp:
    driver: bridge

volumes:
  valkey-data:
  postgres:

Start the stack:

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mkdir -p logchimp && cd logchimp
# Save the compose file above as docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

The initial migration runs automatically before the API starts. Once all services are healthy, the web interface is at http://localhost:3000 and the API at http://localhost:8000.

Reverse Proxy Configuration (Both Platforms)

Both Fider and LogChimp should sit behind a reverse proxy for TLS and domain routing. Here is a Caddy example:

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feedback.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3000

    tls your@email.com
    encode gzip
}

Caddy automatically provisions Let’s Encrypt certificates. The same pattern works with Nginx or Traefik.

When to Choose Fider

Fider is the right choice when:

• You want simplicity — single binary, single database, no cache layer to manage
• You need mature features — custom fields, SAML SSO, multi-tenant boards, webhooks
• You value community — 4,200+ stars, used by well-known open-source projects
• You want low resource usage — runs comfortably on a $5/month VPS
• You need SSO/enterprise auth — built-in OAuth and SAML support
• You prefer permissive licensing — MIT license allows any usage including commercial SaaS wrappers

When to Choose LogChimp

LogChimp is the right choice when:

• You want a dedicated roadmap view — Kanban-style status columns for planning
• You need caching for scale — Valkey layer handles high-traffic boards
• You prefer Node.js/TypeScript stack — easier to customize if your team knows JS
• You want separate API and frontend — independent scaling and deployment
• You need modern microservice architecture — containers for each concern

Alternative Approaches

If neither Fider nor LogChimp fits your needs, consider these alternatives:

GitHub Discussions

If your project is already on GitHub, Discussions provides a built-in feedback channel with categories, voting (via reactions), and direct linkage to issues. It is free and requires no infrastructure.

Form-Based Feedback

Collect structured feedback using self-hosted form tools. Our form builders comparison covers options like TypeForm alternatives that integrate with databases.

No-Code Database

Tools like NocoDB or Baserow can serve as lightweight feedback trackers — create a table with columns for feature name, description, votes, and status. See our NocoDB vs Baserow vs Directus comparison for details.

FAQ

What is the best open-source alternative to UserVoice?

Fider is widely considered the best open-source UserVoice alternative. It supports public and private feedback boards, voting, commenting, status tracking, OAuth login, webhooks, and multi-tenant boards — matching most UserVoice features without the subscription cost. LogChimp is a strong second option with a dedicated roadmap view.

Can Fider and LogChimp be self-hosted on a small VPS?

Yes. Fider runs comfortably on a 1-core, 1 GB RAM VPS (~$5/month) since it is a single Go binary with only PostgreSQL as a dependency. LogChimp requires slightly more resources (2 cores, 2 GB RAM recommended) because it runs multiple containers: API, frontend theme, PostgreSQL, and Valkey cache.

Do these platforms support single sign-on (SSO)?

Fider supports OAuth (Google, GitHub, Facebook, Azure AD) and SAML out of the box. LogChimp supports OAuth (Google, GitHub, GitLab) for community users, with SAML available as an enterprise feature requiring a license key.

Which tool is better for product roadmaps?

LogChimp has a dedicated roadmap view with Kanban-style status columns, making it more suitable for teams that want to publicly share their product roadmap alongside feedback collection. Fider handles roadmaps through status filtering (Open → Planned → Started → Completed) but does not have a visual roadmap board.

Can I migrate feedback from Canny or UserVoice to a self-hosted platform?

Both Fider and LogChimp provide REST APIs that can be used to import data from other platforms. Fider’s API supports creating posts, comments, and users programmatically. LogChimp’s API similarly allows bulk import of feedback items. You would need to export data from your current platform (CSV or API) and write a migration script targeting the new platform’s API.

What database do these platforms use?

Both Fider and LogChimp use PostgreSQL as their primary database. Fider connects directly from its single binary. LogChimp uses PostgreSQL for persistence plus Valkey (a Redis-compatible cache) for performance. PostgreSQL 12+ is recommended for both.