Twitter is vs. Mastodon: Which Platform should you choose? (+ a Better Alternative) |
Twitter was created in 2006 and over subsequent decades, the little bird twittering its way into mind and hearts of over 400 million people. Twitter consisted of famously short, text-based content composed in "tweets." The long-time followers of the service will be able to recall the furore when tweets were expanded from their original 140-character limit to 280 characters, and the quick anger that ensued.
After Elon Musk's $40 billion Twitter acquisition in the month of October, 2022, lots of people have been fleeing the platform. There are those who don't like Musk his own persona, be it his political views or his manner of leadership. There are some who don't like his idea of the company's platform.
Another of Twitter alternatives that's been making headlines recently is Mastadon. In 2016, it was created to be an open-source and decentralized social forum, Mastodon touts (or we should be saying "toots") itself as the better option for those who are long-term Twitter users. With stars such as Kathy Griffin and Stephen Fry making the switch, you might be wondering if it's time for you to try it too.
In this piece we'll discuss Twitter vs. Mastodon. It will show the difference between the wooly mammoth to the tiny blue bird. We'll also about a more suitable alternative.
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A better alternative to both Twitter and Mastodon
Actual ownership = monetization
What exactly is Mastodon
Mastodon is a decentralized social network that's located on what's known as to the "fediverse" - that basically signifies that the network runs on separate servers which can communicate with each other. This creates a kind like a social network that is local. The site was founded in 2016 by Eugen Rochko, Mastodon is a little as if it's a network of independent social networks who all speak the similar the same language.
However, if the personal server portion of Mastadon freaks you out, let's say this. Once you get past the individual hosting (ie. which is where your personal information is), the user experience is remarkably similar to Twitter and maybe even some Discord added in. Instead of a "tweet" the user "toot." instead you "liking," you "favorite" the item you like. For those who've been long-time followers of Twitter are likely to be familiar with Mastodon, a kind of generic brand Twitter but with only 500 characters.
Mastodon can help you set up an account, where you are able to add a profile photo and a hyperlink to your website, and other features that people put in their Twitter bios. Similar to Twitter it also gives you an overview of your followers and the people who follow you. You are able to reply, increase (AKA "retweet"), highlight (favorite) something and bookmark tweets.
Pros and cons of Mastadon
Pros
- Mastadon feels like Twitter. The usability will be a lot like Twitter and allow you to set up the account running quick. Making posts, uploading images and videos, and even polls are almost the same.
- It has similar interactive functions too. You can send direct messages to people, follow them either by blocking them or make them aware by using an @.
- Its decentralised look provides more possibilities than Twitter for building something like the concept of a space or dedicated server on which users who are interested in a specific topic could meet.
- There are no ads available on Mastodon. There are people who are creating servers through a cash payment or using crowdfunding. There are some problems with it, that we'll be talking about below however it's a nice thing to think about it in the long run.
- The software that powers Mastodon is open source. It's generally an excellent thing as people are able to adopt the code and utilize it to personalize the way they talk. In addition to the Mastodon official apps, people are using Mastodon's open-source code to build their own social apps.
- It's not just about the people who are on your server. It is possible to follow users on the same platform, regardless of which the server that they are on. You can also mark servers as either open to join, or make potential users invite to join.
Cons
- There isn't an algorithm. The users see their posts according to the order in which they were posted. This sounds great at first but in general decreases the usability of the platform.
- Someone has to pay. It's wonderful not having ads on Mastodon however there may be a catch. The process of building your fan base on a server is a requirement that is required to cover the cost, either you pay yourself or you'll be operating using a server that someone else pays for. This is fine if it lasts for long, but when someone thinks it's not worth their time to pay for the server, it may be gone.
- Mastodon can be difficult to establish when you are looking to launch an own YouTube channel. You need to figure out how to do your own hosting , and then install security protocols. If you're not an expert programmer then you'll probably have to hire one.
- There are a lot of security problems regarding the way that this platform is organized. The requirement that users "apply" to the server can help a bit as could the "block" functions. There's not any actual moderation and you can see almost anyone anywhere, no matter which server they're using. Since it's a grassroots community, there's nobody to try to change the way things are done when it inevitably gets controlled by bots and Trolls.
- There's no real way to monetize on Mastodon. And not only that, but it's not completely free. The person hosting the network has to pay for it and there's no advertising. As of now it is currently being funded by donations, which raises grave concerns about the longevity of the networks.
- It's an open-source and distributed community engine. Open source software can be beneficial, users can modify and correct issues, but it can also be a liability - it's created controversy-making networks such as Gab.
A better alternative for both Twitter and Mastodon
For a Twitter alternative, Mastodon does many of the same features. However, it's more difficult to utilize, requires self-hosting to establish a server as well as, in truth, lacks many of the great features Twitter offers. It's easy for people to overlook an algorithm, but in a social media platform like Facebook it helps users find content that you'd like to read. When your feed is unorganized and never-ending mind dump, it can make difficult to engage in conversations and grow the community. It is possible to think of Mastodon as a kind of forum, but it doesn't work as well as something like reddit which has up-voting and down-voting to make sure people have access to relevant content.
Let's discuss an alternative. Mighty is a platform that is cultural designed to help build lively communities. But where Twitter is a huge social network , and Mastodon is a huge server collection, Mighty lets you build a dedicated community full of members who share similar visions and objectives.
Here are a few motives to create an Mighty Network instead.
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True usability
While Mastodon requires coding and hosting to create your own server, Mastodon gives users a robust community out of the box. Everyone can create an, expand, and make money from a community that blows Twitter and Mastodon out of the water.
Real content is a feature of HTML0.
280 characters? 500? Why bother? A Mighty Network gives you actual feature-rich content. Make posts as you like, or create full-length articles (blog posts). Create polls, discussions, organize conversations, stream live or add events to develop courses. Mighty is a social network designed to help communities work together and to bring a group of strangers together , and assist to make them lifelong friends.
Spaces Not servers
In contrast to Mastodon in which users reside in servers, but are able to connect over the entire platform however, a Mighty Network is an enclosed community. Instead of joining various servers, discussion and activities are organized in spaces rather than. Every space offers the option to sell access, host events, add content, all-member chat, or even try live streaming or courses.
Actual ownership = monetization
If you've put in the effort of building your community and want to make money from the community, nothing is wrong with that. So instead of worrying about whether your platform has ads or not - like Mastodon has - why not just build on the platform that can help you make your community a successful company?
It has built-in payments, which makes it simple to charge users either a one-time or monthly fee for access (or maintain it as free access if you prefer). Some hosts also are able to monetize their free community by charging for live events, charging for access to premium areas and even selling courses. The sky's the limit but you're not able to do any of this on either Twitter or Mastodon.
More secure
A Mighty Network gives you way greater options in terms of security and moderated use. It has the same possibilities similar to Mastodon in encouraging users to request access or apply to join. Moderators can manage content as well as enlist other hosts as moderators. And since users belong to communities, not all of the network, you'll feel at ease in the privacy of the privacy of your own Network.
Apps and access
It comes with an excellent app with a great app for every device. However, with Mighty Pro You can also get a custom-built, brand-named app which gives users the Mighty Network entirely under your own brand. We build the app and support for the long-term. Call us to learn more.
Ready to start?
If you're looking for a better alternative to both Twitter and Mastodon, then the software reviews website G2 has been ranked the highest rated community platform. With Mighty G2, you'll get an extremely powerful engine for community that can connect people for fantastic conversations. However, add features like events, courses as well as monetization and you've got all the elements to make your own social community.
What's the harm in giving this a shot? You can try it for cost-free for 14 days and we won't require the credit card details of your. You could have your own social network up and running in the next 20 minutes, no coding required.
Ready to start building your community?