A Beginner’s Guide to Mastodon, the Open Source Twitter Alternative
Mastodon explained: how the open-source, decentralized Twitter alternative works in 2026—and why it’s worth your attention.
Matilda
A Beginner’s Guide to Mastodon, the Open Source Twitter Alternative
Mastodon Explained: Your 2026 Guide to the Open-Source Twitter Alternative What is Mastodon, and why are people still talking about it in 2026? If you’ve heard whispers of a Twitter alternative that’s ad-free, community-run, and built on open-source principles—but aren’t sure where to start—you’re not alone. Mastodon surged in popularity after Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X), but unlike fleeting social media trends, it’s held steady by offering something truly different: a decentralized, user-owned social web. Here’s everything you need to know to get started—without the jargon. Credit: Mastodon What Exactly Is Mastodon? Mastodon isn’t a single app or company. It’s a decentralized social network made up of independently operated servers—called “instances”—that all communicate using the same open protocol, ActivityPub. Launched in 2016 by German developer Eugen Rochko, Mastodon was designed as a nonprofit alternative to corporate-controlled platforms. There’s no CEO, no ads…
