MastodonvsNova Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mastodon | Nova Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #20 of 25 in Proxy |
| GitHub stars | 50 457 | 355 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +137 | +1 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 38 | 9 |
| Latest release | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 | v1.92.2 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Ruby | Shell |
Which one should you pick?
Mastodon scores 82/100 against 46/100 for Nova Server, so it is the safer default.
Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Nova Server.
If you want the quickest setup, Nova Server is easier to run; Mastodon needs more configuration.
Mastodon is growing faster right now (+137 stars in 30 days).
Mastodon details →Nova Server details →