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Mastodon Announces New Revenue Model with Paid Hosting and Support Services

Mastodon Announces New Revenue Model with Paid Hosting and Support Services
source: gettyimages
September 19, 2025

Mastodon, the non-profit organization behind the software powering the decentralized social network ecosystem known as the fediverse, has revealed a new initiative to generate income. Historically funded through donations and grants, Mastodon now plans to offer paid hosting, moderation, and support services for organizations wishing to operate their own servers within the fediverse.

The Fediverse and ActivityPub Protocol

The fediverse is a network of interconnected servers that operate using the ActivityPub protocol, enabling diverse platforms like Mastodon, Meta’s Threads, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Misskey, and Lemmy to communicate seamlessly. This protocol is also integrated into broader content management systems such as WordPress, Ghost, and Drupal via plugins.

Empowering Organizations to Host Their Own Servers

While anyone can create an account on a public Mastodon server, some institutions prefer to host their own servers to better control policies and management. Setting up and maintaining such servers requires technical expertise, akin to choosing between self-hosted WordPress or a managed hosting service like Bluehost or DreamHost.

To address this, Mastodon is rolling out dedicated hosting solutions. These services will permit organizations to run their servers managed by Mastodon’s team, with optional moderation support. Additionally, Mastodon will offer support contracts for organizations with their own IT departments but unfamiliar with Mastodon’s federated software.

Customizable and Flexible Services

Mastodon clarifies that its hosting services typically cater to brands and institutions operating dedicated servers, rather than open, public servers. Pricing details remain undisclosed but are said to be flexible and customized based on the selected services, including hosting, moderation, and support.

Even with these paid services, organizations retain control over their server policies and rules.

Existing Partnerships and Revenue Diversification

Prior to this announcement, Mastodon partnered with notable entities such as the European Commission, the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, the French city of Blois, and AltStore, an alternative app store. These collaborations have helped Mastodon establish a more predictable revenue stream beyond donations and merchandise, ensuring the sustainability of its development.

Continued Commitment to the Community

Felix Hlatky, Mastodon’s chief financial officer, expressed enthusiasm about expanding their offerings: "These offerings will provide financial stability for our team while ensuring the Fediverse remains a resilient, community-driven ecosystem."

The organization emphasizes that the new models are meant to diversify its revenue sources rather than replace existing donation workflows. Mastodon will continue operating its flagship server, mastodon.social, as the main gateway for new users exploring the fediverse.

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Contact: Sarah Perez, TechCrunch reporter Email: sarahp@techcrunch.com Encrypted Signal: sarahperez.01

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