Software Alternatives & Startups

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!

Mastodon

Mastodon Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Mastodon is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Landing page //
    2023-10-20

Features & Specs

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Ad-Free

    Mastodon does not rely on advertising for revenue, which means users can enjoy a social media experience without intrusive ads.

  4. Open Source

    Mastodon is open-source software, allowing for greater transparency and the opportunity for the community to contribute to its development.

  5. Privacy Features

    Mastodon offers comprehensive privacy features, including granular post visibility options and the ability to block and report users.

Badges & Trophies

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Videos

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand ALBUM REVIEW

MASTODON Emperor of Sand Album Review | Overkill Reviews

A Closer Look at Mastodon, The Twitter Killer!

Reviews

  1. VickiBerman avatar
    VickiBerman
     
    They suspended my account without sharing any proper justification.

    They suspended my account without sharing any proper justification.

    Cons:    Issues with support
  2. Coralie Davis avatar
    Coralie Davis
     
    Account Suspension Without any Proper Reason

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

    Pros:    Worst support

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Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Mastodon and what they use it for.
  • Passkeys are a trap. Do not use them
    Opinion from someone who's working on Passkeys at Apple and is very open and transparent about his work there (For many years already), which is rare for someone working at Apple. This makes me appreciate this much more. https://mastodon.social/@rmondello@hachyderm.io/117428259125860842. - Source: Hacker News / 7 days ago
  • Ask HN: What games do you religiously play on your phone browser?
    I like the art and storytelling -- the characters are somewhere between unbearably cute and tough special forces lifestyle. It fits my kemo lifestyle [1] I like the tower defense genre in general, there is a lot of depth to the mechanics, and many of the levels are challenging. It is a gacha game but it's fun to play if you don't spend any money or if you just get the $5 monthly card which I think is... - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Nikon Made a $1,400 Full-Frame Camera for Gen Z and I Might Be Too Old for It
    It amused me because I made the discovery I can shoot candids of people on the street with a 70-200mm towards the wide range shooting "from the hip" [1] without looking at the screen or through the viewfinder. Earlier I found people are suspicious if you cradle a camera with a 50mm or something wider in your arms, even if you take pictures with a remote trigger in my hand. But point an absurdly huge and... - Source: Hacker News / 25 days ago
  • Apple releases iPhone Duo simulator and Xcode 27.1 beta
    I started adding support in some of my apps. Here's an example of some of the work required https://mastodon.social/@simsaens/117296064810231465 — all my apps are hobby apps. Even though they all support iPad / resizability, it's still a large amount of work. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • The part of Navier-Stokes no one is talking about
    It is very unlikely to be plagiarized, and claims of plagiarism are largely unfounded and show a lack of understanding of the situation. This is the timeline: On June 29, Buckmaster disabled model training, and stopped allowing his chats to be used as training data with OpenAI https://mastodon.social/@tristanbuckmaster/117233413705701198 On August 15, Buckmaster and Alpöge found their blow-up for 3D incompressible... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening
    Quote: "Watching this Apple event tout how iPhones will soon be able to record ambient audio/conversations and transcribe "high level notes" for you. It's billed as private and end-to-end encrypted, but I think the bigger harm is the normalization of always-listening devices. It's creepy and not normal." https://mastodon.social/@zackwhittaker/117242363654801025. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • The Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem
    I just want to add to this another update by the author as well: https://mastodon.social/@tristanbuckmaster/117236471352470303 Which seems to be very directly accusing OpenAI of plagiarism. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • The Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem
    The researchers are pretty directly accusing OpenAI of plagiarism https://mastodon.social/@tristanbuckmaster/117236471352470303. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • The Navier–Stokes Millennium Prize Problem
    Https://mastodon.social/@tristanbuckmaster/117236471352470303 He very much is accusing them of stealing his work. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Navier-Stokes – Tristan Buckmaster [pdf]
    OP’s link is the statement on the events of the last few days. Tristan Buckmaster also released mathematical papers alongside this statement: https://mastodon.social/@tristanbuckmaster/117233413705701198 And here are Terence Tao’s comments on the results:. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Nitter has more working instances than before the takedowns
    > Instagram is actively hostile to good ui. And that idiot, Zuck, thought he was getting a good deal when he poached former head of design, Alan Dye, from Apple. We were relieved to see him go. Our desktop OS is already making small improvements now that he's gone. Context: the guy doesn't understand fundamentals of UX and has made MacOS worse for years. [If you put the Apple icons in reverse it looks like the... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Glacier Mice
    At your service, I'm running this since 2020: https://www.mostdiscussed.com/ I also have a automatic bridge to Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@MostDiscussed If you have feedback please share it with me. For the Mastodon bridge I use Mastofeed: https://mastofeed.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Startup Shouldn't Have Merch
    Unusually I really like swag and I often wear it as a fashion statement. I still wear my Pinecone shirt and I recently bought a lot of shirts from Fox Racing https://mastodon.social/@UP8/117049900145791976 because they go humorously with my personal brand and if I can get people to laugh with me they are under the spell of this Huli Jing. The merch in that blog post though seems awful to me though. Like... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: Dear LinkedIn, do you want to do business, yes or no?
    That government id thing is a joke. I get endlessly harassed to identify my identity with CLEAR, which I have no problem with in principle, but I have the practical problem that "it just doesn't work" and of course there is no helpdesk. I can't believe at all that a verified badge would make any difference in whether or not LinkedIn users would trust this person: https://mastodon.social/@UP8/117079988454949322. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • The ethics of shooting people on the street
    My "street photography" involves getting consent at least 90% of the time but I practice an unusual form of "character photography" where I "go out" like this https://mastodon.social/@UP8/117049900145791976 to get people to smile. There are certainly the grey areas, like the time I was taking pictures of a race and somebody who wasn't in the race did something incredibly athletic and beautiful to (I think) avoid... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • XCancel and Nitter are receiving C&D letters from XCorp
    It's that exactly what Mastodon already is? https://mastodon.social. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • SpaceX – Starbase, LA
    This sums up my and many others timeline of his understanding of engineering diciplines: https://mastodon.social/@rodhilton/109572674700288958. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: Do You Feel Dehumanized?
    In the circles I move in I hear a lot of exhortation to experience something "more than human." I do so more than most https://mastodon.social/@UP8/tagged/foxwork I "go out" as that character most of the time except in my home and workplace and the experience ranges from being treated like a celebrity (people practically jump on me when I go out the front door of my building after transforming in the elevator,... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: iPhone app takes simultaneous images from 2 lenses, fuses into 1 photo
    There is Halide which I find completely uninteresting because I have a Sony A7iv. (Funny my latest piece of “gear” I am learning to use is a selfie stick because I can do stuff like https://mastodon.social/@UP8/tagged/selfie and I don’t see third party apps really improve on the official camera). - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (August 2026)
    I've continued working on my game project, Vestiges, which is a 2D narrative strategy rogue-like made in Godot. I'd hoped to have a more meaningful update from when I first mentioned this project last month (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48884984) and (https://mastodon.social/@ksaun), but haven't posted anything yet. I bought a Linux laptop for this project (I was working on a 2020 Surface Book 3). I had... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Dithered QR Codes
    You can alpha blend a QR code onto images easily and fit them into graphic designs https://mastodon.social/@UP8/115939341268444811 https://mastodon.social/@UP8/113494337763505908 (R&D). - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago

Summary of the public mentions of Mastodon

Mastodon, a decentralized social network, has drawn increasing public interest and support as an alternative to traditional social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Since its launch in 2017, it has positioned itself as an open-source, ad-free network that prioritizes user privacy and community-driven interactions. Unlike centralized platforms managed by tech giants, Mastodon operates through a network of independently managed servers, known as "instances," allowing users to join communities that align with their interests. This decentralized nature provides users with greater control over their social media experience, fostering an environment where they can connect on their own terms without the interference of algorithm manipulation or data tracking.

Public opinion highlights several appealing aspects of Mastodon. It is often compared to Twitter due to its similar layout and features, such as timelines and @mentions, yet it distinguishes itself by avoiding advertisements and prioritizing user-generated content. This, according to several industry articles, offers a more organic and engaged environment where users can freely exchange ideas and express themselves. Privacy-conscious users appreciate Mastodon's commitment to data protection and the absence of intrusive tracking technologies, marking it as a favorable alternative for those seeking a safe and private online community.

However, Mastodon's decentralized structure also presents certain challenges. Finding and establishing a niche community can be time-consuming, and the network lacks Twitter's immediate global reach and simplicity in connecting with a vast audience. The segmented server approach means users may initially find it difficult to navigate and locate specific communities or content. Nonetheless, this forum-like segmentation is also praised for catering to diverse interests, ranging from tabletop games to artistic endeavors, offering a tailored social media experience.

Mastodon's growth trajectory is promising, yet it remains in the developmental phase compared to mainstream networks. The platform's success relies heavily on its community-driven ethos, encouraging users to develop organic reach and engage authentically with peers. The flexibility in content length and diverse media options enable a comprehensive communication approach, further adding to its allure as a Twitter alternative.

Despite its advantages, Mastodon still faces competition from other decentralized platforms such as Scuttlebutt, Diaspora, and Friendica, as well as mainstream giants like Facebook and Twitter. Each platform offers distinct functionalities and target audiences, making the choice highly dependent on user needs. While Mastodon excels in providing a Twitter-like experience without the centralized control, other platforms may offer features akin to Reddit or Facebook, catering to varied social media habits.

In conclusion, public opinion on Mastodon is generally favorable, highlighting its decentralized, privacy-friendly nature as significant benefits. As users continue to seek alternatives that prioritize user control and data privacy, Mastodon stands out as a promising option in the evolving landscape of social media platforms. Its continued development and focus on community engagement suggest a bright future for those seeking more personalized and autonomous social networking experiences.

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Is Mastodon good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Mastodon here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.