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Comparison · Collab

Flame vs Keybase

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Flame and Keybase — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Flame vs Keybase: at a glance

FeatureFlameKeybase
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score0.01.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesself-hosting, homelab, dashboard, dormantzoom subsidiary, ios polish, broken crawl, low-signal feed
Last editorial update14h ago3mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Flame?

Self-hosted dashboard that finished its feature arc and stopped shipping in 2023.

Flame is a self-hosted startpage for homelab services — app tiles, bookmarks, weather, and a search bar. The feature set it set out to build was finished across 2021 and 2022: custom app descriptions, Docker secrets support, a secondary search provider, and a custom theme editor. The most recent release in this feed is v2.3.1 from July 2023, and it is entirely bug fixes.

Read the full Flame trajectory →

What is Keybase?

Keybase's feed is mostly broken crawls; the one real release (v6.6.0) is iOS polish from March.

Three of the four entries the crawler captured are GitHub error pages ('Sorry, something went wrong') that mostly contain a username and the standard tab navigation — the crawler is hitting profile pages that load partially. The only real content is v6.6.0 on March 6, which shipped iOS sharing improvements, Emoji 16 support, HEIC avatars, and assorted fixes.

Read the full Keybase trajectory →

Flame vs Keybase: editorial side-by-side

F
Flame
COLLAB
0.0

Self-hosted dashboard that finished its feature arc and stopped shipping in 2023.

◆ Current state

Flame is a self-hosted startpage for homelab services — app tiles, bookmarks, weather, and a search bar. The feature set it set out to build was finished across 2021 and 2022: custom app descriptions, Docker secrets support, a secondary search provider, and a custom theme editor. The most recent release in this feed is v2.3.1 from July 2023, and it is entirely bug fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc reads as a project reaching completion rather than one under active development. Later releases shifted from adding capability to correcting the edges of what already existed — search-provider interactions, iOS input rendering, theme editor field sizes, label wording. There has been nothing since.

◆ Prediction

Nothing in these entries suggests further releases; anyone deploying Flame should treat the current version as the final one unless the project resumes.

Keybase logo
Keybase
COLLAB
1.3

Keybase's feed is mostly broken crawls; the one real release (v6.6.0) is iOS polish from March.

◆ Current state

Three of the four entries the crawler captured are GitHub error pages ('Sorry, something went wrong') that mostly contain a username and the standard tab navigation — the crawler is hitting profile pages that load partially. The only real content is v6.6.0 on March 6, which shipped iOS sharing improvements, Emoji 16 support, HEIC avatars, and assorted fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

Keybase remains in slow-maintenance mode under Zoom: sporadic point releases focused on mobile niceties, no signs of a meaningful directional push. Confidence is limited by the source quality — half the feed is unusable.

◆ Prediction

Source likely needs re-pointing to the GitHub releases feed for the keybase/client repo to capture future releases reliably. Product itself probably ships another iOS-focused point release before any cross-platform feature lands.

Alternatives to Flame and Keybase

Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Flame or Keybase.

See all Flame alternatives → · See all Keybase alternatives →

Recent activity from Flame and Keybase

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 3y agoFlameBug fixes for local search, iOS input styling, and theme editor
  2. 4y agoFlameCustom theme editor and secondary search provider
  3. 4y agoFlameIn-app location detection and tightened file permissions
  4. 4y agoFlameLocal search covers app descriptions; background task tuning
  5. 4y agoFlameCustom app descriptions and a cluster deployment fix
  6. 4y agoFlameDocker secrets support

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Flame and Keybase?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Keybase is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 1.3 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Flame better than Keybase?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Keybase is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 1.3 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Flame?

Top Flame alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Flame alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/flame-dashboard for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Keybase?

Top Keybase alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Keybase alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/keybase for the full list with editorial commentary on each.