Short answer
Mastodon is a decentralized, open-source network of independent servers with chronological feeds; Hive Social is a small app run by one company, popular briefly in late 2022; for most people leaving or supplementing X in 2026, Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon are the larger options.
Key takeaways
- Mastodon: decentralized, ad-free, you pick a server; part of the wider fediverse.
- Hive Social: a single-company app that spiked in November 2022 and had a serious security incident.
- Bluesky and Threads grew much larger than Hive as X alternatives.
In November 2022, as many users looked for alternatives to Twitter, two names spiked: Mastodon and Hive Social. Four years later the landscape looks different. Here's how they compare, and where the other big alternatives fit.
What is Mastodon?
A decentralized social network made of independent servers (instances) that talk to each other through the ActivityPub protocol.
You sign up on one server, such as mastodon.social or a server for your interest or country, and can follow people on any other server. Feeds are chronological, there's no algorithmic For You by default, and each server sets its own moderation rules. Mastodon is part of the wider "fediverse", which other apps, including Threads in part, connect to.
What is Hive Social?
A centralized microblogging app run by one small company, founded in 2019.
Hive offered a Twitter-like feed with music on profiles and a chronological timeline. It jumped to the top of the App Store in November 2022, reaching over a million accounts. Days later, security researchers reported flaws that could expose private data, and Hive shut its servers down until December 15, 2022. It came back, but stayed small.
How do they compare with X, Bluesky and Threads?
| Mastodon | Hive Social | Bluesky | Threads | X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | Many independent servers | One company | Bluesky PBC, open protocol | Meta | X Corp. |
| Feed | Chronological | Chronological | Custom feeds, choice of algorithm | Algorithmic + Following | Algorithmic + Following |
| Ads | None in standard software | Not core | Not at core | Yes | Yes |
| Size (2026) | Millions of accounts | Small | Tens of millions of accounts | Hundreds of millions of users | Hundreds of millions of users |
| Moderation | Per server | Company | Company + community labelers | Company | Company + Community Notes |
Sizes are rough and change; check each network's own reports.
Which should I choose?
Pick by where your people are and how much control you want.
- Mastodon: you want no ads, chronological feeds and a server community; you don't mind choosing a server.
- Bluesky: you want something close to classic Twitter with custom feeds.
- Threads: your audience is on Instagram.
- Hive: only if your specific community is there.
- X: news, sports, tech, finance and many public figures are still most active here.
Many people now post to two networks. If you miss the old Twitter look itself, see can you get old Twitter back?
Questions people ask
Is Hive Social still active?
Hive Social restored its service in December 2022 after a security shutdown and was listed as active afterward, but it remained a small network compared with Mastodon, Bluesky or Threads.
Is Mastodon free?
Yes. Servers are run by volunteers, nonprofits and companies, often funded by donations. There are no ads in the standard software.
Can I follow X accounts from Mastodon?
Not directly. Some accounts post to both, and bridges exist between some networks (for example Mastodon and Bluesky), but X isn't part of the fediverse.