Mastodon vs Soapbox
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
Soapbox
Customizable fediverse web front-end
| Feature | Mastodon | Soapbox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 700 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Twitter app |
Why pick each one
Choose Soapbox if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Soapbox better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community, while Soapbox is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mastodon and Soapbox free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Soapbox under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Soapbox with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Soapbox: check the project docs for container support.