Notes 
Mastodon: Twitter Alternative
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
Mastodon
joinmastodon.org 5.0 (6)
Social Networks Open Source Self-hosted Decentralized Windows macOS Linux Android iOS Web Free Germany
Rate Mastodon: No account needed
Threat level
Covered
A covered pick. Anyone can use it as a private drop-in, with no setup or know-how. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
The most populated and polished entry point into the fediverse, and the realistic answer for anyone leaving Twitter who still wants people to talk to. The learning curve is real: choosing a server, understanding federation, and accepting that moderation and reach vary by instance all take adjustment. Pick Mastodon if you want a genuine microblogging community without an algorithm deciding your feed; skip it if you expect a drop-in clone that just works like the old app.
GitHub at a glance
mastodon/mastodon AGPL-3.0 activity-streamactivitypubdockerfediversemastodonmicroblogsocial-networksocial-webwebfinger
Stars
50,476
+23 this week
Forks
7,537
714 watching
Last commit
today
healthy
Latest release
v4.7.5
today, 100+ total
Star history
Issues
67% closed
4,404
open
8,908
closed
+111 / -85
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
1,674 commits, active 25 of 26 weeks
404 contributors since Feb 2016
Languages
- Ruby 59.7%
- TypeScript 23.7%
- JavaScript 7.7%
- Other 8.9%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 10, 2026.
Website at a glance
joinmastodon.org
B score 75
Solid website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 13d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
Mastodon alternatives
Mastodon license, in plain English
AGPL-3.0 Strong copyleft · network
Free to use, even commercially. Changes must be published under the same license, and running a modified version as a network service counts as distributing it.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: The network clause is the point. Anyone who runs a modified version as a hosted service has to publish those changes, so the code handling your data stays inspectable. This is why privacy-first projects reach for AGPL.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.