Mastodon vs Mobilizon
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?
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
VS
Mobilizon
Federated tool for events and groups
| Feature | Mastodon | Mobilizon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 1,500 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Facebook Events, Meetup |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Mobilizon better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Mobilizon is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Mobilizon free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mobilizon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Mobilizon with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Mobilizon: yes.