Mastodon vs Zap
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
Zap
Decentralized social network with nomadic identity
| Feature | Mastodon | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Ruby | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50,177 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Twitter, X | Facebook, Twitter |
Why pick each one
Choose Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastodon or Zap 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 Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Mastodon is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mastodon and Zap with Docker?
Mastodon: yes. Zap: check the project docs for container support.