Mastodon vs Streams
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
Streams
Decentralized social server with nomadic identity
| Feature | Mastodon | Streams |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Facebook, Mastodon |
Why pick each one
Choose Streams if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Streams better?
Neither is universally better. Mastodon has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mastodon and Streams free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Streams under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Streams with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Streams: yes.