# Mastodon vs Nova 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).

## Details

- [Mastodon](https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon.md)
- [Nova Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/nova-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nova-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/mastodon-vs-nova-server