# LinkWarden vs Mastodon

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

| | LinkWarden | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 46 in Bookmarks & Link Sharing | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 20 262 | 50 457 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +425 ✓ | +137 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 | 38 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.16.3 · 9 Sept 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?

Mastodon scores 82/100 against 79/100 for LinkWarden, so it is the safer default.

Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for LinkWarden.

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

LinkWarden is growing faster right now (+425 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [LinkWarden](https://selfhost.directory/project/linkwarden) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/linkwarden.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/linkwarden-vs-mastodon