# Mastodon vs MeiliSearch

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

| | Mastodon | MeiliSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #3 of 41 in Search Engines |
| GitHub stars | 50 457 | 59 704 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +137 | +300 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 38 ✓ | 33 |
| Latest release | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 | v1.56.0 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Ruby | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Mastodon and MeiliSearch 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 33 for MeiliSearch.

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

MeiliSearch is growing faster right now (+300 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [MeiliSearch vs Typesense](https://selfhost.directory/compare/meilisearch-vs-typesense)

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