Bettermode
Customizable customer community with AI-powered moderation.
Mastodon
Self‑hosted, federated microblogging platform powered by ActivityPub
Mastodon lets you run your own social network server with real‑time timelines, media sharing, robust moderation, and full ActivityPub federation, enabling seamless interaction across the Fediverse.
Overview
Overview
Mastodon provides a self‑hosted microblogging server that connects to the broader Fediverse through the ActivityPub protocol. Users can publish text, images, videos, and links, while enjoying real‑time chronological timelines and robust moderation controls such as private posts, phrase filtering, muting, and reporting.
Deployment & Extensibility
The platform runs on Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Node.js, and ships with ready‑to‑use Docker and docker‑compose configurations, as well as Helm charts, Heroku, and Scalingo guides. Its OAuth2 provider and REST/Streaming APIs enable third‑party apps and custom integrations, giving developers full flexibility to build on top of a standards‑based, vendor‑free social network.
Community & Licensing
Mastodon is released under the AGPL‑3.0 license and benefits from an active community that contributes code, documentation, and visual regression testing via BrowserStack and Chromatic. This collaborative model ensures regular security updates and feature enhancements, making it a reliable foundation for both hobbyist and enterprise deployments.
Highlights
Federated ActivityPub network for cross‑server interaction
Real‑time chronological timeline updates
Rich media support with images, videos, and looping GIF‑like playback
Built‑in moderation tools and OAuth2/REST API for third‑party apps
Pros
- Full data ownership and no vendor lock‑in
- Active open‑source community with frequent updates
- Extensive moderation features for safe environments
- Flexible deployment via Docker, Heroku, Helm, and more
Considerations
- Requires Ruby, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Node.js expertise
- Self‑hosting incurs operational overhead
- Learning curve for federation and server management
- Limited native mobile apps compared to centralized platforms
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Mastodon, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Communities seeking independent, moderated social spaces
- Developers building ActivityPub‑compatible applications
- Organizations wanting brand‑customizable microblogging
- Privacy‑conscious users preferring self‑hosted solutions
Not ideal when
- Teams without server administration experience
- Projects needing instant, zero‑maintenance SaaS
- Users requiring deep native mobile app ecosystems
- Small hobbyists looking for a plug‑and‑play hosted service
How teams use it
Campus community hub
Students and staff share announcements, events, and media while maintaining campus‑level moderation and privacy.
Open‑source project discussion board
Contributors coordinate releases, post updates, and interact with the broader Fediverse without relying on third‑party platforms.
Non‑profit advocacy network
Activists broadcast campaigns, gather supporters, and control data sovereignty across federated instances.
Corporate internal microblog
Employees post updates, share knowledge, and integrate with existing SSO via OAuth2, keeping communications on‑premise.
Tech snapshot
Ruby61%
TypeScript15%
JavaScript11%
SCSS8%
Haml4%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
What is ActivityPub?
ActivityPub is an open, decentralized social networking protocol that enables Mastodon instances to communicate with each other and with other compatible services in the Fediverse.
Do I need to run my own server?
You can self‑host, or use a hosted provider; Mastodon’s code works on any server that meets the Ruby, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Node.js requirements.
Can I integrate existing authentication systems?
Mastodon supports OAuth2 and can be linked to external identity providers, allowing SSO integration for organizations.
What platforms are supported for deployment?
Official Docker and docker‑compose files, Helm charts, and guides for Heroku and Scalingo make deployment possible on most cloud or on‑premise environments.
Is there a mobile app?
Several third‑party mobile clients exist for iOS and Android, leveraging Mastodon’s public API, though the core project does not ship an official app.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 49,521
- Watchers
- 49,521
- Forks
- 7,388
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age9 years old
Last commit2 days ago
Primary languageRuby
Last synced 2 days ago