# hatsu vs Mastodon

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | hatsu | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 45/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 5 in Fediverse | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 258 | 50 457 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +137 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 38 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.3.5 · 1 Oct 2026 | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Rust | Ruby |

## Which one should you pick?

Mastodon scores 82/100 against 45/100 for hatsu, so it is the safer default.

Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for hatsu.

If you want the quickest setup, hatsu is easier to run; Mastodon needs more configuration.

Mastodon is growing faster right now (+137 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [hatsu](https://selfhost.directory/project/hatsu) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hatsu.md)
- [Mastodon](https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hatsu-vs-mastodon