Mastodon vs Postmarks
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
Postmarks
Single-user bookmarking site that federates
| Feature | Mastodon | Postmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 545 |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Pinboard, del.icio.us |
Why pick each one
Choose Postmarks if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Postmarks better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Postmarks is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Postmarks free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Postmarks under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Postmarks with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Postmarks: yes.