HumHub 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?
HumHub
Open-source social network for communities
VS
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
| Feature | HumHub | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,716 | ★ 50,177 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Facebook Workplace, Yammer | Twitter, X |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is HumHub or Mastodon better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while HumHub is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HumHub and Mastodon free and open-source?
Yes. HumHub is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mastodon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HumHub and Mastodon with Docker?
HumHub: yes. Mastodon: yes.