# Mastodon vs Rocket.Chat

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

| | Mastodon | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 50 456 ✓ | 46 348 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +137 | +187 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 38 ✓ | 36 |
| Latest release | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Ruby | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Mastodon and Rocket.Chat 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 36 for Rocket.Chat.

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

## Details

- [Mastodon](https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon.md)
- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-rocketchat)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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