Social
Mastodon
social network alternative to Twitter with privacy controls and no ads
Mastodon is a privacy-friendly social platform. It helps you keep more control over your data.
Who is this for?
✓ Good for you if:
- • You want a social network without ads or algorithmic manipulation
- • You prefer platforms where you choose your server
- • You want granular privacy controls (public, unlisted, followers-only, direct)
- • You need content warnings and sensitive media controls
- • You want to self-host your own instance for complete control
⚠ Think twice if:
- • You need end-to-end encrypted direct messages (DMs are not )
- • You want the largest social network user base
- • You need simple, mainstream social media experience
- • You want to avoid federation complexity (data shared across servers)
- • You need complete anonymity (requires email)
Overview
Mastodon is a decentralized social network that gives you control over your social media experience. Unlike Twitter or Facebook, Mastodon isn't owned by one company - instead, it's made up of thousands of independent servers (called instances) that can talk to each other. You choose which server to join based on its community rules and moderation policies, or you can even host your own server for complete control. Mastodon has no ads, no algorithms pushing content at you, and no tracking. You control who sees your posts with privacy settings - posts can be public, unlisted (accessible via link but not in public timelines), followers-only, or direct messages. You can make your account private, requiring approval for followers. Mastodon includes features like content warnings to protect others, sensitive media controls, and the ability to hide your social graph (who you follow). However, it's important to know that direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted, so server administrators can see them - don't share sensitive information in DMs. Mastodon is open source, meaning anyone can check the code, and it's maintained by a non-profit organization. The platform is free to use and works in your web browser or through mobile apps.
Privacy highlight
social network with no ads, no , and user-controlled . Choose your instance or self-host for complete control.
Quick facts
- Country:
- Decentralized (self-hostable)
- Pricing:
- Free
- Platform:
- Web, Android, iOS
- Technical:
- Intermediate
- :
- Yes
- :
- Minimal telemetry
- :
- Yes
- Open-source status:
- Fully open source
- :
- Yes
- :
- Yes
Key features
- Privacy-friendly social platform.
Security & encryption Click to expand
- Yes
- Encryption protocols
- ,
- Mastodon uses standard / for all connections. User passwords are hashed using bcrypt. The platform does not implement for direct messages - messages are stored on servers and accessible to instance administrators. Mastodon uses .0 for and supports two-factor (2FA) via . Session tokens are stored securely using Rails . The platform uses PostgreSQL for data storage with standard database at rest (depends on hosting provider).
- Offline support
- No
Telemetry & tracking Click to expand
- Minimal telemetry
- No
- Ip no
- Mastodon instances collect minimal data. Most instances do not collect usage statistics or by default. Instance administrators can optionally enable basic , but this is not enabled by default. The platform does not send data to external services. Crash reporting and error are typically handled locally on the instance. Mastodon does not include third-party scripts or services in the default installation.
Jurisdiction & compliance Click to expand
- Mastodon is decentralized - data residency depends on which instance you join. Each instance is independently operated and may be hosted in different jurisdictions. The main Mastodon organization is based in Germany. Users can choose instances in their preferred jurisdiction or self-host their own instance.
- policies vary by instance, as each instance is independently operated. Most instances retain user data (posts, media, account information) until the user deletes their account or content. Deleted content is typically removed from the database, though may retain data for a period. Instance administrators set their own retention policies. Users can export their data and delete their accounts at any time. Federation means that content shared with other instances may be retained on those instances according to their policies.
- Legal frameworks
- GDPR (where applicable). Each instance may be subject to different legal frameworks depending on its jurisdiction.
- Revenue sources
- Donations, Enterprise, Hosting
Editorial signals Click to expand
- 86
- Trust score
- 82
- Trust breakdown (0–10)
- Encryption: 70, Audits: 75, Open source: 95, Telemetry: 90, Jurisdiction: 85, Transparency: 80, Trackers: 95
- Editorial notes
- Usability: 75, Performance: 80, Family friendly: 70
User experience Click to expand
- Signup requirements
- Email address required for account creation. Some instances may require email verification. Username and display name are also required. No phone number or other personal information required.
- Onboarding difficulty (1-5)
- 2
- Accessibility features
- Mastodon includes accessibility features such as keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and high contrast mode. Accessibility features may vary by instance and client application.
Backup & portability Click to expand
- Yes
- Migration tools
- Mastodon supports account migration, allowing users to move their account to a different instance while preserving followers. Users can export their data including posts, media, and follow lists. Import tools are available for migrating from other platforms.
- Account recovery is typically handled through email-based password reset. Users can export their account data as a backup. Instance administrators may provide additional recovery options depending on their policies.
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