Softwr

Dating · head to head

Mastodon vs Thursday

Mastodon logo

Mastodon

Dating

Social networking that's not for sale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thursday logo

Thursday

Dating

Delete the apps, meet in real life

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mastodon no pricing model required; users host their own instances at infrastructure cost; Thursday no pricing information is published on the website homepage or pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Mastodon covers Decentralization, Thursday covers Thursday-Only Access.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mastodon and Thursday actually diverge.

Attributes where Mastodon and Thursday differ
AttributeMastodonThursday
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb
Founded20162021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Dating).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mastodon

  • Decentralization
  • Custom Servers
  • No Ads
  • Chronological Feed
  • Content Warnings
  • Federation
  • ActivityPub
  • Fediverse

Only in Thursday

  • Thursday-Only Access
  • In-Person Events
  • Roses
  • Video Profiles
  • Prompts
  • Conversation Starters
  • Instagram

Both cover

  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mastodon

  • Decentralized social networkingnot Thursday
  • Community-owned discussion platformsnot Thursday
  • Privacy-focused communication infrastructurenot Thursday

Thursday

  • Event ticketing and ticket salesnot Mastodon
  • Event management for recurring weekly or regular eventsnot Mastodon

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mastodon

  • No pricing model required; users host their own instances at infrastructure cost
  • Decentralized funding model relies on voluntary donations with no guaranteed revenue
  • Self-hosting requires technical expertise and operational overhead for smaller communities

Thursday

  • No pricing information is published on the website homepage or pricing page
  • Website only references event ticketing without specific cost details

Pricing, plan by plan

Mastodon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Toots
    • Federation
    • Custom Instances

Thursday

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Thursday Access
    • Matching
    • Events
  • Premium$14.99/month
    • Extra Roses
    • See Who Likes You
    • Priority Access

Which should you pick?

Choose Mastodon if

  • You need decentralization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want custom servers.
Mastodon review

Choose Thursday if

  • You need thursday-only access.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want in-person events.
Thursday review

Questions people ask

Is Mastodon or Thursday better?
Neither clearly leads. Mastodon starts at Free and Thursday at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mastodon or Thursday?
Mastodon starts at Free and Thursday at Free.
Does Mastodon or Thursday run on more platforms?
Mastodon runs on Ios, Android, Web. Thursday runs on Web.
Can I use Mastodon for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mastodon best used for?
Mastodon is most often used for decentralized social networking, community-owned discussion platforms, privacy-focused communication infrastructure. Of those, decentralized social networking and community-owned discussion platforms are not what Thursday is typically brought in for.
What can Mastodon do that Thursday cannot?
Mastodon covers Decentralization, Custom Servers, No Ads, Chronological Feed. Thursday covers Thursday-Only Access, In-Person Events, Roses, Video Profiles. Both handle Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mastodon: Does Mastodon charge any fees to join or use the platform?

No, Mastodon is free and open-source software developed by a non-profit organization. Users can join existing servers or host their own without software licensing fees.

Source
Thursday: How much do Thursday event tickets cost?

Thursday.com does not publish pricing information on its website. The site only references that tickets are available for events but does not specify costs.

Source
Mastodon: How is Mastodon development funded?

Mastodon is developed by a non-profit and accepts optional voluntary donations through Patreon and direct Stripe donations. These are presented as support contributions rather than required fees.

Source
Thursday: Is there pricing information available for Thursday services?

No pricing details are available on the Thursday website. Contact the event organizer or platform directly to inquire about specific event costs and ticket pricing.

Source
Mastodon: What are typical costs for self-hosting a Mastodon instance?

Mastodon website does not publish hosting costs. Self-hosting requires paying for cloud infrastructure (VPS, storage, bandwidth) through providers like AWS, DigitalOcean, or Linode, with costs varying by instance size and user count.

Source
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