Mastodon
The facts below are what the maker publishes about Mastodon, checked and dated. Our editors have not written about it yet.
Plans and prices
From Mastodon's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Mastodon software | Free | Free and open-source software; server hosting and operation are managed by independent providers or by the user |
| Institutional hosting and support | Priced on request | Paid hosting, moderation, and support for larger organisations; contact Mastodon to discuss options |
The facts
Each one read from Mastodon's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Account portability
- Users can move their profile to another server without losing followers, according to the servers page.checked 8 Oct 2026
- API
- Mastodon describes its API as open and well documented and available to everyone for building apps.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Custom domain
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Federation
- Users can follow people across Mastodon servers, and Mastodon can interoperate with platforms that implement ActivityPub.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Independent servers
- Users join through a server operated by an independent organization or individual, and servers can have different moderation policies.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Institutional services
- Mastodon offers organisations paid server hosting, moderation on request, and support contracts for in-house operations teams.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Moderation
- Each server sets and enforces its own rules locally, and users may choose a server or host their own.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Moderation tools
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 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.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Posting features
- Posts can include audio, video, images, accessibility descriptions, polls, content warnings, animated avatars, custom emojis, and thumbnail crop controls.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product
- Mastodon is free, open-source decentralized social media software for short-form social networking.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- Mastodon requires HTTP signatures to validate that received activity was authored by the actor generating it.checked 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.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Mastodon lists separate contact addresses for business hosting, security reports, legal matters, and general inquiries.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Timeline
- The home feed shows followed posts in chronological order without algorithmic recommendations or ads, according to Mastodon’s site.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Apps
- Mastodon provides official iOS and Android apps, a progressive web app, and a directory of third-party apps for mobile, web, and desktop.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Mobile apps
- bothchecked 20 Sep 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2016checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Berlin, Germanychecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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