Mastodon vs Sharkey
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
Sharkey
Feature-rich Misskey fork for the fediverse
| Feature | Mastodon | Sharkey |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Twitter, Mastodon |
Why pick each one
Choose Sharkey if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Sharkey better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Sharkey is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Sharkey free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sharkey under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Sharkey with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Sharkey: yes.