Tech riderRev. 8 Oct 2026

Mastodon

Ch 597.1of 126 Community Platforms

1Runs onAndroid, API, iOS, self-hosted, Web
2CostsFree plan
3Custom domainYes
4Moderation toolsYes
5Mobile appsboth

5 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: joinmastodon.org, blog.joinmastodon.org

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Overview

Mastodon is ranked #59 of 126 in community platforms on Specifiction, made by Mastodon (Berlin, Germany). It runs on Android, API, iOS, Self-hosted, Web. There is a free plan.

Mastodon plans and pricing

All plans

Mastodon software Free Free and open-source software; server hosting and operation are managed by independent providers or by the user joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026

Institutional hosting and support Not published Paid hosting, moderation, and support for larger organisations; contact Mastodon to discuss options blog.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026

Compared on community platforms

Free plan: Yesjoinmastodon.org
Custom domain: Yesjoinmastodon.org
Moderation tools: Yesjoinmastodon.org
Mobile apps: bothjoinmastodon.org

Facts

Product: Mastodon is free, open-source decentralized social media software for short-form social networking.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Independent servers: Users join through a server operated by an independent organization or individual, and servers can have different moderation policies.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Federation: Users can follow people across Mastodon servers, and Mastodon can interoperate with platforms that implement ActivityPub.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Timeline: The home feed shows followed posts in chronological order without algorithmic recommendations or ads, according to Mastodon’s site.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Posting features: Posts can include audio, video, images, accessibility descriptions, polls, content warnings, animated avatars, custom emojis, and thumbnail crop controls.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Moderation: Each server sets and enforces its own rules locally, and users may choose a server or host their own.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Account portability: Users can move their profile to another server without losing followers, according to the servers page.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Apps: Mastodon provides official iOS and Android apps, a progressive web app, and a directory of third-party apps for mobile, web, and desktop.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
API: Mastodon describes its API as open and well documented and available to everyone for building apps.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Self-hosting: Users can run Mastodon on their own infrastructure, while the documentation notes that server operation involves technical requirements such as email delivery.docs.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Security: Mastodon requires HTTP signatures to validate that received activity was authored by the actor generating it.docs.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Institutional services: Mastodon offers organisations paid server hosting, moderation on request, and support contracts for in-house operations teams.blog.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Support: Mastodon lists separate contact addresses for business hosting, security reports, legal matters, and general inquiries.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026
Organization: Mastodon says it began as an open-source project in 2016 and was incorporated as a German gGmbH in 2021; the About page describes a foundation transition process begun in 2025.joinmastodon.org · 8 Oct 2026