Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LiveJournal VS Mastodon

Compare LiveJournal VS Mastodon and see what are their differences

LiveJournal logo LiveJournal

Online blogging software - free for basic users!

Mastodon logo Mastodon

Mastodon is a decentralized, open source social network. This is just one part of the network, run by the main developers of the project It is not focused on any particular niche interest - everyone is welcome!
  • LiveJournal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02
  • Mastodon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20

LiveJournal features and specs

  • Community Building
    LiveJournal fosters a strong sense of community, allowing users to join communities based on shared interests and engage in discussions.
  • Customizability
    Users can highly personalize their journals with a variety of themes, layout options, and custom HTML/CSS, making it possible to create a unique look and feel for their pages.
  • Privacy Options
    LiveJournal offers robust privacy controls, allowing users to make posts public, friends-only, or private, and even create custom friend groups for selective sharing.
  • Long-Form Content
    Unlike other social media platforms that focus on short, quick updates, LiveJournal is structured to support long-form content, which is ideal for detailed blog posts, stories, and essays.
  • Rich History
    Having been around since 1999, LiveJournal has a long-standing history and a wealth of content, providing a unique and nostalgic experience for some users.

Possible disadvantages of LiveJournal

  • Outdated Interface
    The user interface of LiveJournal can feel outdated and less intuitive compared to modern blogging and social media platforms.
  • Declining User Base
    LiveJournal has seen a decline in its user base over the years, which can make community engagement less vibrant compared to newer platforms.
  • Limited Integration
    The platform has limited integration with other social media and modern web services, making it less effective for cross-platform sharing and engagement.
  • Commercialization
    LiveJournal has undergone commercialization, including advertisements and sponsored content, which can detract from the user experience.
  • Censorship Concerns
    Especially since its acquisition by a Russian company, there have been concerns about content censorship and the moderation policies on LiveJournal.

Mastodon features and specs

  • Decentralization
    Mastodon is based on a federated network, meaning it's composed of multiple servers (or instances) that communicate with each other. This reduces the risk of a single point of failure and offers more control over data.
  • User Control
    Users can choose from various instances with different rules and themes, offering more control over the kind of community they want to be part of.
  • Ad-Free
    Mastodon does not rely on advertising for revenue, which means users can enjoy a social media experience without intrusive ads.
  • Open Source
    Mastodon is open-source software, allowing for greater transparency and the opportunity for the community to contribute to its development.
  • Privacy Features
    Mastodon offers comprehensive privacy features, including granular post visibility options and the ability to block and report users.

Possible disadvantages of Mastodon

  • User Base Fragmentation
    Because Mastodon is decentralized, users are spread out over many instances, leading to smaller, fragmented communities that might reduce the reach and variety of interactions.
  • Complexity
    New users might find the federated nature of Mastodon confusing, as they need to choose an instance and understand how different instances interact.
  • Scalability Issues
    Some instances may experience performance issues or downtime, especially smaller ones with limited resources, affecting reliability.
  • Content Moderation
    Each instance sets its own moderation policies, which could lead to inconsistencies in how harassment, spam, and inappropriate content are handled.
  • Feature Parity
    Mastodon might lack some features available on more mainstream social networks, such as advanced search capabilities or integrated multimedia tools.

LiveJournal videos

LiveJournal Review

More videos:

  • Review - What is LiveJournal?
  • Review - EMBARRASSING LIVEJOURNAL POSTS | Akilah Obviously

Mastodon videos

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand ALBUM REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - MASTODON Emperor of Sand Album Review | Overkill Reviews
  • Review - A Closer Look at Mastodon, The Twitter Killer!
  • Review - Mastodon App: The Social Media Alternative to Twitter? | Tech News Briefing Podcast | WSJ
  • Review - 5 Reasons to DITCH TWITTER For Mastodon!
  • Review - No, Mastodon Will Not Replace Twitter

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LiveJournal and Mastodon)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
Social Networks
3 3%
97% 97
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Decentralized Social Network

User comments

Share your experience with using LiveJournal and Mastodon. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LiveJournal and Mastodon

LiveJournal Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
LiveJournal allows users to share their life stories, give advice, and exchange ideas with each other. The platform differs from Medium where writers usually create long-form content based on their hobbies and expertise. LiveJournal provides opportunities for people to learn about others’ lives, whether it’s through simple exchanges or more in-depth sharing of experiences.
Source: forgefusion.io

Mastodon Reviews

  1. Coralie Davis
    Account Suspension Without any Proper Reason

    The social networking sites that will ban your account without mentioning any reason.

    👍 Pros:    Worst support

Top 12 Alternative Social Media Platform to Consider: An Overview
Imagine a Twitter fuelled by independent communities, not a tech giant. That's Mastodon. It's not one platform, but a network of servers, each with its own vibe, from artists and journalists to cat lovers and techies. You choose your server, connect across them, and post "toots" with longer text, images, and videos. Think open-source Twitter with more freedom and...
The 10 Best Twitter Alternatives if You’re Thinking of Quitting X
However, the segmented nature of its network means it can take time to find and build your niche, and it won’t have the immediate, global reach of Twitter. Regarding features, Mastodon mirrors Twitter with timelines and @mentions, but it’s ad-free.
4 Twitter alternatives for brands considering leaving Twitter in 2024
You won't find an algorithm on Mastodon. Instead, it shows users posts that the people they follow repost or comment on. This dynamic means it's really important to engage with your community and build organic reach.
Source: zapier.com
15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
The best overall alternative depends on your specific needs. Discord offers versatile communication options, while Mastodon provides a decentralized approach. For a more Reddit-like experience, Lemmy or Voat might be suitable choices.
10+ Top Facebook Alternatives That Value Your Privacy in 2024
It is ad-free and the system does not track you or collect your data. Only servers that agree to the “Mastodon Server Covenant” (a commitment to integrity) are listed on the main site.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mastodon seems to be a lot more popular than LiveJournal. While we know about 731 links to Mastodon, we've tracked only 8 mentions of LiveJournal. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LiveJournal mentions (8)

  • I thought I'd give y'all an update.
    Awww, thanks! This means a lot to me! I, too, have an anxious mind and still, to this day I have to step back and ask myself why am I stressing about something when my focus needs to be on this other situation? The other thing I do that might help is I journal. I use livejournal.com but if you are artistic, you might like a handwritten journal. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Finally done the show!
    Desperate for more content, I listened to the 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts' podcasts and they are okay but I find Stacey whatserface an incredibly annoying presenter. There's an absolute shedload of FNL fanfiction out there too, if you're into that kind of thing, ranging from light romantic fluff to heart-wrenching emotional observations about the characters' feelings to downright crack. I even started writing some... Source: about 2 years ago
  • livejournal password leak SOS
    Hi, I have no experience with this and I am hoping someone can help me. Remember the livejournal.com password dump? My 20 year old livejournal is now visible and has my full name. Of course I don't have the password or the email I used in 2004. Is there anyone who is willing and able to help me get the password for it so I can delete it? Source: about 2 years ago
  • Apparently Bing can control the suggestions if you just ask. (unless they're in a bad mood)
    It works fine. I can get it to read livejournal.com entries. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Buy pbn links cheap
    PBN, or blog network seo, is one of the 'expensive' gray SEO strategies, thus creating or receiving the service for a low price is impossible, or at best only PHP and zonk. PBN links can be formed on any platform, even free ones like Blogspot and WordPress.com, but the ones that are preferred and well-known for their benefits are still self-hosted paying ones. The blog networks seo is a collection of domains that... Source: almost 3 years ago
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Mastodon mentions (731)

  • Electric buses don't like the cold, study finds
    Electric buses failed in Tompkins County ultimately. Just after I got this pic [1] https://mastodon.social/@UP8/111970855110384330 they had one fall apart when they jacked it up on the lift and took them out of service. It wasn't a problem with the "electric" part, it was a problem with the "bus" not being structurally sound. Buses are tougher than you might think. In the 1970s NYC had at least two bus... - Source: Hacker News / 2 days ago
  • Calendars, Contacts and Files in Stalwart
    I understand your perspective, many open source communities are built on transparency, and it's natural to want to know the people behind a project. That said, I personally value privacy highly, which is actually one of the main reasons I started Stalwart Mail Server. I don't maintain a personal presence on LinkedIn or other social media platforms, not because I'm trying to be anonymous, but because I prefer to... - Source: Hacker News / 4 days ago
  • Mozilla shutdown Pocket on July 8, 2025
    I built Obsidian Web Clipper to replace my read-it-later app and save everything to local markdown files. Now that Obsidian Bases it makes for a very nice web archival tool and reading experience. Here's a video: https://mastodon.social/@kepano/114553164915046938. - Source: Hacker News / 9 days ago
  • The White House, LLC
    > It’s best to understand that fascists see hypocrisy as a virtue. It’s how they signal that the things they are doing to people were never meant to be equally applied. > It’s not an inconsistency. It’s very consistent to the only true fascist value, which is domination. > It’s very important to understand, fascists don’t just see hypocrisy as a necessary evil or an unintended side-effect. >... - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Memory-safe sudo to become the default in Ubuntu
    The Lennart post about it explain it https://mastodon.social/@pid_eins/112353324518585654 He was comparing to "normal" sudo, but sudo-rs have the same problems he highlighted anyway. - Source: Hacker News / 25 days ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing LiveJournal and Mastodon, you can also consider the following products

Blogger - Publish your passions, your way. Create a unique and beautiful blog. It’s easy and free.

X (Twitter) - Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.

Tumblr - A feature rich and free blog hosting platform offering professional and fully customizable templates, bookmarklets, photos, mobile apps, and social network integration.

Facebook - Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Gab.ai - Gab is an ad-free social network dedicated to free speech.