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.
Mastodon
Decentralized open-source microblogging server
VS
Sharkey
Feature-rich Misskey fork for the fediverse
| Feature | Mastodon | Sharkey |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| 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 | ★ 50,319 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Twitter, Mastodon |
What are Mastodon and Sharkey?
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
Sharkey
Sharkey is a feature-rich fork of Misskey that adds quote posts, improved moderation, and additional customization for fediverse instances. It supports a rich timeline with reactions and drive file storage.
- Quote posts and reactions
- Drive file storage
- Extensive customization
- Improved moderation
Mastodon vs Sharkey: key differences
Mastodon is written in Ruby, while Sharkey is built with TypeScript. Mastodon is the more established project (first released 2016), while Sharkey arrived in 2023. Mastodon has the considerably larger community, at 50,319 GitHub stars versus 600.
Why pick each one
Choose Mastodon if…
- Large fediverse network
- Strong moderation features
Watch out for
- Resource-heavy to host
- Operationally complex
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.