Misskey vs Mastodon
A side-by-side comparison of Misskey and Mastodon — pricing, license, deployment, and where each tool wins.
Misskey
misskey.io
Decentralized app-like microblogging server/SNS for the Fediverse, using the ActivityPub protocol like GNU social and Mastodon.
Mastodon
joinmastodon.org
Open-source alternative to Twitter.
| Feature | Misskey | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Model | Open-source | Open-source |
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted, Cloud |
| Category | Communication - Social Networks and Forums | Communication - Social Networks and Forums |
| Self-hosted | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free tier | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Pick Misskey if…
- ✓You prefer Misskey's feature set or ecosystem fit.
Pick Mastodon if…
- ✓You prefer Mastodon's feature set or ecosystem fit.