Start With Mastodon In Under A Minute

Last updated: 1/3/2023

Confused on how Mastodon works or on where to even start? Right below is a list of places where you can sign up, along with some notes. Pick one which seems right for you and click on the link. Don't overthink it. That's all there is to it.

(If, for some reason, you'd like to read more about Mastodon or have questions, click on this link to get to the FAQ.)

Instant Sign-Up

Create an account and get started instantly, just as you would on Twitter.

Instance	Topic	Size	Notes
mas.to	General	Large	Very popular, standard moderation, reliable.
SDF Chatter	General	Large	Active staff, has been alive since 2010.
mstdn.social	General	Large	N/A
mastodon.world	General	Large	Shitposting is prohibited.
Vivaldi Social	General	Large	Run by the company behind the Vivaldi Web Browser.
Hachyderm.io	Tech Industry	Large	Professional environment, focused on those in the tech industry.
zirk.us	Humanities	Medium	Primarily for writers and academics.
HorrorHub	Horror Fiction	Small	N/A
Mastodon Transit Authority	Transit/Urbanism	Small	N/A
econtwitter.net	Economics	Medium	Academic environment.
sauropods.win	Paleontology/Zoology	Medium	N/A
genomic.social	Genomics	Medium	Academic environment.

Manual Approval

You can still register on the site, but you'll have to wait for a moderator to approve your account before you can use it.

Instance	Topic	Size	Notes
Fosstodon	Tech	Large	Shitposting is prohibited.
Computer Fairies	LGBT/Furry	Medium	N/A
toad.social	General	Medium	Has a liberal/#resist slant, focused on US politics.
Newsie	Journalism	Medium	N/A
union.place	Labor Unions	Medium	N/A
dice.camp	Tabletop Games	Medium	N/A
Astrodon	Astronomy	Medium	N/A
mathstodon.xyz	Mathematics	Medium	Server supports LaTeX in posts.

International

For servers either not in English or catering to a non-US audience.

Instance	Topic	Size	Notes
mstdn.ca	General	Large	For Canadians, instant sign-up.
aus.social	General	Large	For Australians, instant sign-up.

Other Useful Tools

FediFinder: Find out where on Mastodon your Twitter friends are, so you can join them.
Moa: Automatically syncs up your posts on both platforms, so you don't have to post everything a second time.
FediPlan: Allows you to schedule your posts for a set time in the future.
FediAct: Firefox/Chrome extension which greatly simplifies interacting with other instances.
PressCheck: Directory of verified journalists and news organizations on Mastodon. If you are a journalist, you can apply to have your name added.
App: Mastodon app for your smartphone. On both Android and iPhone.

If none of these float your boat, we have a list of less-recommended instances here. Although beware, you could run into issues signing up with those.