Buddycloud vs Mastodon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Buddycloud
Federated XMPP-based social networking server
VS
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
| Feature | Buddycloud | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 70 | ★ 50,177 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Facebook Groups | Twitter, X |
Why pick each one
Choose Buddycloud if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Buddycloud or Mastodon better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buddycloud and Mastodon free and open-source?
Yes. Buddycloud is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Mastodon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buddycloud and Mastodon with Docker?
Buddycloud: check the project docs for container support. Mastodon: yes.