Mastodon vs Snikket
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
Snikket
Easy self-hosted XMPP chat for groups
| Feature | Mastodon | Snikket |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 437 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | WhatsApp, Signal |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Snikket better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Snikket is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Snikket free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Snikket under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Snikket with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Snikket: yes.