# Mastodon vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

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

| | Mastodon | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 50 458 ✓ | 16 058 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +139 | +243 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 38 ✓ | 31 |
| Latest release | v4.4.26 · 1 Oct 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Mastodon scores 82/100 against 80/100 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP), so it is the safer default.

Mastodon ships more often: 38 stable releases in the past year, against 31 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP).

If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; Mastodon needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Mastodon](https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mastodon.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/mastodon-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap