# Mastodon vs Nowen Reader

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

| | Mastodon | Nowen Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 19 in Ebook Management |
| GitHub stars | 50 458 ✓ | 180 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +139 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 38 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 | v1.2.3 · 25 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Mastodon scores 82/100 against 51/100 for Nowen Reader, so it is the safer default.

Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for Nowen Reader.

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

Mastodon is growing faster right now (+139 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Mastodon](https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon.md)
- [Nowen Reader](https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nowen-reader.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/mastodon-vs-nowen-reader