Mastodon vs noStrudel
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?
| Feature | Mastodon | noStrudel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 218 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | — |
Why pick each one
Choose noStrudel if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or noStrudel better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while noStrudel is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and noStrudel free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and noStrudel under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and noStrudel with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. noStrudel: yes.