Mastodon
Mastodon is a Berlin-based nonprofit operating a decentralized, open-source social networking platform built on the ActivityPub protocol. It serves individual users, creators, journalists, and 100+ institutional clients through managed hosting, monetizing via donations, hosting services, and government grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Mastodon does
Mastodon GmbH is a Berlin-headquartered nonprofit organization that develops and operates a decentralized, open-source social networking platform built on the ActivityPub protocol. Founded in 2016 by Eugen Rochko and incorporated as a gGmbH with a parallel US 501(c)(3) entity (Mastodon, Inc., New York), the organization employs approximately 18 people and serves three primary customer segments: individual consumers seeking ad-free, algorithm-free alternatives to Twitter/X; creators, journalists, and media organizations building portable audiences; and 100+ institutional customers including government agencies and public-sector organizations requiring GDPR-compliant managed hosting.
The core product is free, open-source Ruby on Rails software that enables anyone to operate an independent server (instance) interoperating with others via ActivityPub to form the global Fediverse. The company supplements the self-hosted software with official iOS and Android apps, a Progressive Web App, and managed hosting services offered either as an All-in-One Managed Service or as modular Single Service options (hosting, moderation, or support). Recent product work in 2025–2026 includes Mastodon 4.5 quote posts, a March 2026 profile redesign, and the June 2026 Mastodon 4.6 release adding email newsletter functionality, the Collections feature inspired by Bluesky's Starter Packs, and administrator two-factor authentication controls. End-to-end encryption for private messages is in development with a 2027 target.
Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) individual donations via Patreon, Stripe, and tax-deductible channels routed through Mastodon, Inc. and the German fiscal host WE AID gGmbH; (2) managed hosting services for large organizations requiring infrastructure management, moderation, and compliance; and (3) government grants, most notably a €614,000 award from Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency in April 2026 funding encryption, shared blocklists, and anti-spam development. As of June 2026, the platform hosted approximately 723,000 monthly active users across 7,900 federated servers — down from a November 2022 peak exceeding 2 million MAUs following Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition. In November 2025 the organization transitioned to a board-governed nonprofit foundation structure, with founder Eugen Rochko stepping down as CEO and Felix Hlatky appointed Executive Director across restructured US, Germany, and Belgium operations.
Mastodon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mastodon
- Legal name
- Mastodon GmbH
- Website
- https://joinmastodon.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mastodon is a Berlin-based nonprofit operating a decentralized, open-source social networking platform built on the ActivityPub protocol. It serves individual users, creators, journalists, and 100+ institutional clients through managed hosting, monetizing via donations, hosting services, and government grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Mastodon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mastodon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Individual Contributions: Direct donations from individuals through Patreon, Stripe, and other channels. Tax-deductible donations for US residents through Mastodon Inc (501c3) and German donors through WE AID gGmbH fiscal host.
- Institutional Hosting Services: Managed hosting services for large organizations including infrastructure, security, backups, updates, moderation, and legal compliance. Offered as All-in-One Managed Service or Single Service options.
- Government Grants: Funding from government initiatives like Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency (€614,000 for encryption features) supporting open-source development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | All-in-One Managed Service for large organizations |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Single Service for organizations wanting self-control |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Mastodon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mastodon provides free, open-source decentralized social networking software built on the ActivityPub protocol, enabling individuals and organizations to run independent servers that interoperate to form a global social network (the Fediverse). The organization also offers official iOS and Android mobile apps, a Progressive Web App, and fully managed hosting services for large institutions and governments, including infrastructure, security, backups, updates, moderation, and legal takedowns available as all-in-one or modular single-service offerings.
Product overview
Mastodon offers a decentralized social media platform built on open-source software. The core offering is the Mastodon software itself, which is free and open-source, enabling anyone to run their own server. The company provides official iOS and Android mobile apps for user access, along with a Progressive Web App for browser-based usage. For organisations, Mastodon offers managed hosting services that include infrastructure management, moderation, and support, available as either comprehensive all-in-one packages or modular single services. The platform operates on the ActivityPub protocol, enabling interoperability with other Fediverse services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mastodon Software Free, open-source decentralized social media software that enables users to run their own servers (instances) interoperating with others via ActivityPub to form a global social network. Targeted at individual users, server operators, and developer communities.
- Official Mobile Apps (iOS and Android) Official native Mastodon applications for iPhone and Android devices providing access to the decentralized social network via the App Store and Google Play.
- Progressive Web App Browser-based Mastodon experience that can be added to a device home screen with push notification support comparable to native apps.
- Managed Mastodon Hosting Fully managed Mastodon hosting service for large organizations, including infrastructure, security, backups, updates, moderation, and legal takedowns. Offered as All-in-One Managed Service for complete outsourcing or Single Service for selective support. Targeted at governments, public institutions, and enterprises.
Quantifiable outcome
- 723K monthly active users across 7.9K servers (June 2026)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mastodon
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mastodon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Mastodon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- European CommissionmajorEuropean Commission runs an official Mastodon server to broaden public engagement across the Fediverse, support European open-source platforms, and provide a privacy-focused channel for official communications.
- Schleswig-Holstein (German State)coreGerman state launched social.schleswig-holstein.de — an official Mastodon server open to state administrations, public-sector companies, and non-profits in the region to strengthen public digital services and local collaboration.
- AltStoreminorPartnership announced for bringing Mastodon to AltStore platform. Announcement from AltStore team coming with more details.
- European Cloud Providers CoalitionminorMastodon signed letter alongside 12 other European cloud providers (including OVHcloud, Nextcloud, Proton, Ecosia, QuantWare) backing EU cloud sovereignty to end reliance on US hyperscalers. Supports broader digital sovereignty goals.
- Social Web FoundationcoreOngoing collaboration on ActivityPub standard development, with end-to-end encryption work coordinated with the Foundation's standards efforts. Technology developed will be available to the broader Fediverse ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mastodon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Threads (Meta): Meta's text-first social network that has integrated ActivityPub federation. A much larger, well-resourced incumbent pursuing the same decentralised conversation space Mastodon targets.
- X (formerly Twitter): The incumbent social network Mastodon was explicitly created as an alternative to. Mastodon's user growth, including the 2022 peak, has consistently correlated with X's product and policy controversies.
Others
- Tumblr: Long-running social platform that has explored ActivityPub federation. Comparable in audience overlap (creators, communities) and in signalling around interoperability with the Fediverse, though not a direct competitor.
- Element (Matrix): Decentralised, open-source communications platform built on the Matrix protocol. Comparable to Mastodon in values (decentralisation, open standards, E2E encryption) and overlap with EU institutional buyers, but focused on messaging rather than microblogging.
Direct peers
- Bluesky: Decentralised social network positioning itself as a Twitter alternative. Most direct competitor to Mastodon in the at-protocol level, with Bluesky using the AT Protocol rather than ActivityPub; recent product moves (Starter Packs) have directly triggered Mastodon feature releases.
- GNU social: Older federated social networking platform using the OStatus and ActivityPub standards. A direct technological peer, though with a much smaller user base than Mastodon.
- Misskey: Federated microblogging platform built on ActivityPub, closely comparable in functionality and target user. A direct technological peer within the Fediverse, popular in Japan.
- Pleroma / Akkoma: ActivityPub-based federated microblogging server software, comparable in purpose and architecture to Mastodon and often deployed as an alternative instance platform within the Fediverse.
- Diaspora: One of the earliest decentralised social networks, with similar values-driven, user-controlled architecture. Comparable to Mastodon in mission and federated model, though significantly smaller in scale.
Emerging players
- Post.news: Decentralised social platform positioning itself around news and conversation. Comparable to Mastodon's audience of journalists and creators, though smaller in scale and more US-centric.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mastodon social profiles
Digital presenceMastodon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mastodon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Mastodon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mastodon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mastodon
What does Mastodon do?
Mastodon provides free, open-source decentralized social networking software built on the ActivityPub protocol, enabling individuals and organizations to run independent servers that interoperate to form a global social network (the Fediverse). The organization also offers official iOS and Android mobile apps, a Progressive Web App, and fully managed hosting services for large institutions and governments, including infrastructure, security, backups, updates, moderation, and legal takedowns available as all-in-one or modular single-service offerings.
Is Mastodon a public or private company?
Mastodon is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mastodon founded?
Mastodon was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mastodon based?
Mastodon is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Mastodon make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Individual Contributions are the primary driver. The others are institutional Hosting Services and government Grants.
Who are Mastodon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Threads (Meta) and X (formerly Twitter). Others are Tumblr and Element (Matrix). Direct peers are Bluesky, GNU social, Misskey, Pleroma / Akkoma and Diaspora. Post.news is listed as an emerging player.
Does Mastodon have an API?
Yes. Mastodon is open-source and has an elegant, well-documented API that is available to everyone. Developers can make their own apps or use one of the many third-party apps made by other developers. Developer documentation is at docs.joinmastodon.org/client/intro.