# Karakeep vs Mastodon

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

| | Karakeep | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 46 in Bookmarks & Link Sharing | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 30 139 | 50 457 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +878 ✓ | +137 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 | 38 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.34.1 · 22 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 | Typescript | Ruby |

## Which one should you pick?

Karakeep and Mastodon score the same (82/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 5 for Karakeep.

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

Karakeep is growing faster right now (+878 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Karakeep vs LinkWarden](https://selfhost.directory/compare/karakeep-vs-linkwarden)

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