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GoToSocial vs Mastodon: catalog facts
GoToSocial	Mastodon
Free Free to self-host.	Free Free and open source under the AGPL. Hosting is separate.
Self-hosted	Android, Web, Self-hosted
Lightweight server written in Go Federates with other ActivityPub software	Chronological timelines with no engagement ranking Federated, so moving servers does not mean losing your network
Fewer features than Mastodon by design Not intended for very large follower counts	Your experience depends heavily on which server you join Running a server has real moderation and maintenance cost
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Web application
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: AGPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.