Loops 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?
Loops
Federated short video sharing platform
VS
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
| Feature | Loops | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 350 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 50,177 |
| First released | 2025 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | Twitter, X |
Why pick each one
Choose Loops if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 350 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Loops or Mastodon better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Loops is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Loops and Mastodon free and open-source?
Yes. Loops is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Mastodon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Loops and Mastodon with Docker?
Loops: check the project docs for container support. Mastodon: yes.