Mastodon vs Pleroma
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted social networks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
VS
Pleroma
Lightweight fediverse microblogging server
| Feature | Mastodon | Pleroma |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,319 | ★ 2,200 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Twitter, Tumblr |
What are Mastodon and Pleroma?
Mastodon
Mastodon is a free, open-source decentralized social network and microblogging server. It is part of the fediverse, federating with other ActivityPub servers so users can follow accounts across instances.
- ActivityPub federation
- Chronological timelines
- Content warnings and moderation tools
- Rich third-party app ecosystem
Pleroma
Pleroma is a lightweight, free, open-source social networking server compatible with the fediverse. It implements ActivityPub and the Mastodon API while using fewer resources than Mastodon.
- ActivityPub federation
- Mastodon API compatible
- Low resource footprint
- Multiple frontends supported
Mastodon vs Pleroma: key differences
Mastodon is written in Ruby, while Pleroma is built with Elixir. Pleroma is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Mastodon. Mastodon has the considerably larger community, at 50,319 GitHub stars versus 2,200.
Why pick each one
Choose Mastodon if…
- Large fediverse network
- Strong moderation features
Watch out for
- Resource-heavy to host
- Operationally complex
Choose Pleroma if…
- Runs on small servers
- Compatible with Mastodon apps
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Less polished admin tools
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Pleroma better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Pleroma is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Pleroma free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pleroma under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Pleroma with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Pleroma: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mastodon or Pleroma?
Pleroma has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Mastodon. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.