Mastodon if you want the common AGPL Twitter-shaped server (the published path). Misskey if you want that reaction-heavy UI — /compare/mastodon-vs-misskey.

No. Reddit stays on /replace/reddit (Lemmy). This page is a microblog.

Mastodon and Misskey are AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting. Template users never pay c17.

Stacks / Newsletter

Medium

Mastodon / Misskey

A microblog you host. Mastodon is AGPL-3.0; Misskey is AGPL-3.0 — Twitter without the hosted timeline seat.

The problem

Twitter (X) is a hosted microblog and ad graph. You wanted short posts, follows, and a local timeline on hardware you control. Mastodon is AGPL-3.0 (mastodon/mastodon; last push 24 Oct 2026). Misskey is AGPL-3.0 (misskey-dev/misskey) if that reaction-heavy UI is the job — /compare/mastodon-vs-misskey. This is not X Premium, Grok, or the old Twitter social graph. A link aggregator stays on /replace/reddit (Lemmy). A photo feed stays on /replace/instagram (Pixelfed). Short video stays on /replace/tiktok (Loops).

Replaces

Twitter

Replace Twitter See all best open-source fediverse social servers

Estimated SaaS saved

$1,200

per year, small team, before lock-in

Start on Railway

Lemmy if this is a link aggregator, not a microblog

Sponsor this stack Tip jar

Placeholder: Mastodon (web + streaming + Sidekiq + Postgres + Redis) plus a volume for media. Federation wants a public hostname. Misskey is a separate Node stack. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. A Reddit-shaped community stays on /stacks/lemmy-reddit.

The stack

Mastodon
AGPL-3.0 federated microblog — the published Twitter path
Catalog entry →
Misskey
AGPL-3.0 federated microblog if that UI is the job
Catalog entry →

Cost table

You stop paying	Typical / year	Self-host instead
Twitter / X Premium (small team)	$1,200	Mastodon or Misskey + Postgres

Agent setup prompt

Replace Twitter with Mastodon (preferred) or Misskey.

- Official docs. Persist Postgres, Redis, and media. Create one account and one post. Do not claim X Premium, Grok, or the old social graph.
- Misskey if that UI is the job — /compare/mastodon-vs-misskey. A link aggregator stays on /stacks/lemmy-reddit.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.

Also as markdown: /stacks/mastodon-social.md

FAQ

Mastodon or Misskey?: Mastodon if you want the common AGPL Twitter-shaped server (the published path). Misskey if you want that reaction-heavy UI — /compare/mastodon-vs-misskey.
Is this Reddit?: No. Reddit stays on /replace/reddit (Lemmy). This page is a microblog.
Are these free?: Mastodon and Misskey are AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting. Template users never pay c17.