Popular instances


The table of all the instances I could discover was getting huge and taking an eternity to load so I decided to make a smaller list. It would be nice to have some meaningful measure to use but all I could come up with was number of users so that's what I've used. Maybe in future I'll change this to some measure of activity.
If there is a link on the instance name then it might take you to the instance's local timeline (although it's probably only reliable for Mastodon instances running 4.0 or better). Due to the width of the table it won't display on something that doesn't have much screen real estate.
You should be able to click on the column heading to get the table sorted on that column. Expect weirdness though.
 
Instance Register Software Site/Staff
Language		 Translation Max Characters Poll options Registered Users Active Users Posts /User/Day
ax.mkhost.socialテオス様に信仰し拝めなさいClosedmisskey 2025.3.2-beta.9-miry-dev.5Unknown30006338.71
beige.partyA home to friendly weirdos. The Grey Gardens of the Fediverse (but beige). Occasionally graphically cacographic. Definitely probably not a cult (though you'll never be 100% sure). Beige-bless 🙏Openmastodon 4.4.9EnglishEnabled11001501,022570
(55.8%)		7.65
best-friends.chat友人と、くだらない話をしよう。Best Friends はあなたにとって最も居心地がいい場所でありたいと願って作られた Mastodon サーバーです。Openmastodon 4.1.16EnglishNone50043,152459
(14.6%)		8.49
brighteon.socialThe Pro-liberty Social NetworkOpenbrighteon 3.4.6EnglishUnknown56,157762
(1.4%)		Idle
c.imC.IM is an independent, EU-hosted Mastodon server for open-minded, English-speaking users across the fediverse.Openmastodon 4.5.4EnglishEnabled50002068,0512,000
(2.9%)		1.44
channels.imClosedmastodon 4.3.8EnglishNone50044745
(95.7%)		85.39
community.sketchucation.comClosednodebb 4.7.1Unknown2,389,79023,103
(1.0%)		0.00
defcon.socialDEFCON.social = The intersection of technology and society, a community for artists, hackers, policy, academics, researchers, infosec, activists & cyberpunksOpenmastodon 4.5.4EnglishNone40001018,6152,024
(10.9%)		0.07
diaspora-fr.orgCloseddiaspora 1.0.0-dev-p8cfcfcdeUnknown68,567496
(0.7%)		0.33
fed.brid.gyBridging the new social internetOpenbridgy-fed 20260110t000719Unknown128,928Idle
flipboard.socialWelcome to Flipboard on Mastodon. A place for our community of curators and enthusiasts to inform and inspire each other. If you'd like to join please request an invitation via the sign-up page. Openmastodon 4.5.4EnglishEnabled50001416,4662,721
(16.5%)		0.32
forum.magicmirror.buildersOpennodebb 4.7.2Unknown73,003810
(1.1%)		0.00
forums.theshow.comClosednodebb 4.7.1Unknown377,8292,191
(0.6%)		0.00
fosstodon.orgFosstodon is an invite only Mastodon instance that is open to those who are interested in technology; particularly free & open source software. If you wish to join, contact us for an invite.Closedmastodon 4.5.4EnglishEnabled500462,5018,227
(13.2%)		0.22
gegenstimme.tvGegenstimme.tv ist eine zensurfreie Videoplattform, die von einigen Aktivisten betrieben wird. Bei uns ist jeder willkommen, niemand wird wegen seiner Ansichten diskriminiert.Openpeertube 6.0.3Deutsch, EnglishUnknown83,55736
(0.0%)		0.33
golt.ggWelcome to GOLT federated social!Openmastodon 4.5.2EnglishUnknown50004119
(81.8%)		426.27
gram.socialA free open source social media platform without ads or tracking! Connect with millions of people around the world on the Fediverse (Federated Universe).Openpixelfed 0.12.6EnglishNone2000076,19412,775
(16.8%)		0.03
hachyderm.ioHachyderm is a safe space, LGBTQIA+ and BLM, primarily comprised of tech industry professionals world wide. Note that many non-user account types have restrictions - please see our About page.Openmastodon 4.5.4EnglishEnabled2263457,1948,196
(14.3%)		0.27
infosec.exchangeA Mastodon instance for info/cyber security-minded people. Openmastodon 4.6.0-alpha.2+glitchEnglishEnabled110001079,37911,230
(14.1%)		0.43
kenji.asmodeus.jpClosedmastodon 4.5.4EnglishNone50041211
(91.7%)		365.39
keskonfai.frCrée un compte pour pouvoir publierOpenmobilizon 5.2.1-beta1Unknown6404.69
labo.wovs.tkおちゃで繋がるネットワーク🍵<br><br>以下の条件に当てはまる人はお断りです。<br> ・EU圏内に在住している方 (If you live in the EU, you cannot register. Please understand that.)<br> ・利用規約を読んでいない人<br> <a href="https://terms-labo.wovs.tk" target="_blank"><u>利用規約</u></a> <a href="https://forms.yandex.com/cloud/65db26082530c2ed5344076c"><u>問い合わせフォーム</u></a> <a href="https://status.labo.wovs.tk" target="_blank"><u>ステータスページ</u></a> <br> 侵害情報の削除を希望される場合はプロバイダ責任制限法における侵害情報の通知書、送信防止措置依頼書を提出することも可能です、対応いたしますので個別に問い合わせくださいClosedmisskey 12.119.2-fix.7.9Unknown300023,7302,587
(10.9%)		7.13
lemmy.mlA community of privacy and FOSS enthusiasts, run by Lemmy’s developersOpenlemmy 0.19.15Unknown56,6922,044
(3.6%)		0.06
lemmy.worldA generic Lemmy server for everyone to use.Openlemmy 0.19.15-4-g508853653Unknown186,00514,319
(7.7%)		0.04
lemmynsfw.comNSFW (18+) only instance for LemmyOpenlemmy 0.19.14Unknown74,2533,076
(4.1%)		0.02
loforo.comLoforo.com is a fast, friendly and free microblog service that supports ActivityPub and Mastodon.Openmastodon 4.2.8EnglishNone800469,75313,050
(18.7%)		0.43
luzeed.orgInstancia de Pixelfed en español. Comparte tus fotos con todo el fediverso sin renunciar a tu privacidad.Closedpixelfed 0.12.5EspañolNone300003,496194
(5.5%)		41.95
mas.toHello! mas.to is a fast, up-to-date and fun Mastodon server.Closedmastodon 4.5.3EnglishEnabled5004188,2119,293
(4.9%)		0.96
masto.aiA general Mastodon server for all languages.Closedmastodon 4.5.1EnglishEnabled500473,1661,536
(2.1%)		1.22
mastodon.cloudEveryone is welcome as long as you follow our code of conduct! Thank you. Mastodon.cloud is maintained by Sujitech, LLC. Openmastodon 4.1.25EnglishNone5004278,0001,746
(0.6%)		0.67
mastodon.jwsoat.comJwsoat Bot Mastodon Server all bots are controlled by home assistant Openmastodon 4.5.4EnglishNone50042828
(100.0%)		150.62
mastodon.onlineA newer server operated by the Mastodon gGmbH non-profitClosedmastodon 4.6.0-nightly.2026-01-08-securityEnglishEnabled5004189,0448,429
(4.5%)		0.67
mastodon.sdf.org"I appreciate SDF but it's a general-purpose server and the name doesn't make it obvious that it's about art." - Eugen RochkoOpenmastodon 4.1.25EnglishNone500473,2321,941
(2.7%)		0.63
mastodon.socialThe original server operated by the Mastodon gGmbH non-profitOpenmastodon 4.6.0-alpha.2+pr-37417-ef6b223EnglishEnabled50043,065,836285,032
(9.3%)		0.49
mastodon.topMastodon.top est une instance francophone stable, régulièrement mise à jour et accessible à tous hébergée par VirtuBoxClosedmastodon 4.4.10FrançaisNone500451,251990
(1.9%)		0.40
mastodon.unoDal 2019 è la comunità Mastodon più grande d’Italia, con i suoi 78.000 iscritti è fra le 10 istanze più attive al mondo ed è parte dell'associazione italiana noprofit Fedimedia Italia APS.Openmastodon 4.5.4ItalianoEnabled500478,6165,292
(6.7%)		0.18
mastodon.worldGeneric Mastodon server for anyone to use.Openmastodon 4.5.3EnglishEnabled5004194,1757,643
(3.9%)		0.58
mastodonapp.ukUK Hosted and Managed Mastodon Instance. General communal space for discussion, everyone welcome! Now with a 1000 character limit for posts!Openmastodon 4.4.9EnglishNone1000480,1672,471
(3.1%)		0.81
mathstodon.xyzA Mastodon instance for maths people. We have LaTeX rendering in the web interface!Openmastodon 4.5.3EnglishEnabled1729423,2563,206
(13.8%)		0.35
micro.blogMicro.blog is a blogging platform and social network.Openmicrodotblog 2.1Unknown227,5515,936
(2.6%)		4.00
misskey.day△日本一（のお山）のサーバー！△ノンジャンルで新規大歓迎！△あんぜんモードの設定が条件ですが年齢制限無いですOpenmisskey 2025.12.2-fujisan1Unknown30009,2971.09
misskey.gamelore.funゲームを遊ぶ人のサーバーです。ゲームが好きな人なら話題はなんでもどうぞ。<br> 参加したい人はまず<a href="https://misskey.gamelore.fun/@admin/pages/1677660194362">利用規約</a>を読んでください。<br> 利用規約を読まないと登録できないようになっています。<br> <br> 心得<br> 1. うっかりデータふっとんだときに泣かないものを置くこと<br> 2. ゲーム以外の話をしてもいいし、配信したりしていい<br> 3. 合わない人は気軽にブロックやミュートを使うこと<br> （ブロックはTwitterと違い自分に見えるけど相手から見えない）<br> <br> ドメインのgamelore.funはgame=ゲーム lore=伝承Closedmisskey 2025.12.2-MISTEMS.79Unknown30003,8893.03
misskey.ioMisskey.io は、株式会社MisskeyHQが運営する地球で生まれた分散マイクロブログSNSです。<br> Fediverse（様々なSNSで構成される宇宙）の中に存在するため、他のSNSと相互に繋がっています。 <br> 暫し都会の喧騒から離れて、新しいインターネットにダイブしてみませんか。<br> <br> <span style="color:#eb6363">※VPNや捨てメアドを利用しての登録は出来ません</span>Openmisskey 2025.4.1-io.11c-65581ca3cd日本語, English, 中文, 한국어, Français, DeutschUnknown3000696,6280.17
mstdn.beerClosedmastodon 4.1.14EnglishNone5004912248
(27.2%)		11.62
mstdn.jpMastodon日本鯖です． よろしくお願いいたします。 (Maintained by Sujitech, LLC)Openmastodon 4.1.25EnglishNone5004413,00112,456
(3.0%)		0.60
mstdn.kemono-friends.infoOpenmastodon 4.2.25日本語Enabled204842,114180
(8.5%)		16.89
mstdn.partyMastodon Party is a general-purpose Mastodon instance. Welcome to the fediverse!Openmastodon 4.5.1EnglishEnabled500453,7231,830
(3.4%)		0.57
mstdn.socialA general-purpose Mastodon server with a 500 character limit. All languages are welcome.Openmastodon 4.5.1EnglishEnabled5004268,62511,009
(4.1%)		0.94
neodb.socialOpenneodb 0.12.7.2-cccec03-015d7a7-20260101214020Unknown25,9411,882
(7.3%)		2.77
newsmast.communityWelcome to Newsmast Community Feeds. Easy-to-follow curated feeds of posts from all over the Fediverse, organised into knowledge-sharing communities. Closedmastodon 4.5.3EnglishNone50046863
(92.6%)		57.83
ninjaclub.ninjabet.itIl NinjaClub è il forum di NinjaBet, prima community in Italia per guadagnare online con il Matched Betting.Opennodebb 4.0.3Unknown77,9741,421
(1.8%)		0.06
occm.cc자커마스는 자작 캐릭터 커뮤니티, 즉 자캐커뮤를 위한 마스토돈 인스턴스입니다. 자캐커뮤에 특화된 서버 설정을 제공하며, 한국어 검색을 지원합니다.Openmastodon 4.6.0-alpha.1+occm.web1한국어None500410,7082,639
(24.6%)		2.05
paper.wfWrite freely on Paper.wf 在紙上自由書寫 (Welcome to the following languages: Deutsche, English, Español, français, Português, عربى, 简体中文, 正體中文, 日本語, 한국어, etc..)Openwritefreely 0.15.1Unknown102,6448,873
(8.6%)		0.07
pawoo.netThe Social Coop Limited が運営するマストドンインスタンス「Pawoo」は、文章や画像を投稿して楽しむSNSです。 「創作活動や自由なコミュニケーションを楽しめる場」として、どなたにも幅広く使っていただけます。 Openmastodon 4.1.18EnglishNone5004970,43618,110
(1.9%)		0.33
pen.absturztau.beMinimal, federated blogging platform.Openwritefreely 0.13.2Unknown50,5130.00
phijkchu.comVideo Archive of Rob's YouTube series & livestreamsOpenpeertube 8.0.1EnglishUnknown143,9829,056
(6.3%)		0.00
pics.80px.comDecentralized photo sharing social mediaOpenpixelfed 0.12.6EnglishNone50003,5141,087
(30.9%)		0.00
pixelfed.auPixelfed is an image sharing platform, an ethical alternative to centralized platforms.Openpixelfed 0.12.6EnglishNone100007,046645
(9.2%)		0.05
pixelfed.deA welcoming instance for allOpenpixelfed 0.12.6EnglishNone5000081,5575,079
(6.2%)		0.12
pixelfed.socialThe original Pixelfed instance, operated by the main developer @dansupOpenpixelfed 0.12.6EnglishNone20000517,37486,903
(16.8%)		Idle
pixelfed.tokyoPixelfed.Tokyoは東京にサーバーを置くPixefedサーバーです。自由でオープンなイメージシェアの場を広く提供する目的で維持・管理されています。 Pixelfed.Tokyo is a Pixelfed server located in Tokyo, Japan. It is maintained with the aim of providing a free and open forum for image sharing.Openpixelfed 0.12.6日本語None500020,976799
(3.8%)		Idle
pixelfed.unoPixelfed Uno è la principale piattaforma italiana per la condivisione di immagini della rete pixelfed, la migliore alternativa etica a instagram per condividere e commentare le foto online.Openpixelfed 0.12.6ItalianoNone2001056,8916,895
(12.1%)		0.01
pixelshot.it<div class="prose"><h3>Info</h3> <p><strong>pixelshot.it</strong> ist eine dezentralisierte Alternative zum zentral verwalteten Instagram. Die Instanz wird von <a href="https://kanoa.de/@adminforge">@adminforge</a> bereitgestellt und besteht seit 01/2025.</p> <p><em>adminForge bietet <a href="https://adminforge.de/">kostenlose Dienste</a> an. Unser Ziel ist es eine freie und datensparsame Alternative zu bekannten Diensten zur Verfügung zu stellen.</em></p> <h4>Tools</h4> <ul> <li>Uptime: <a href="https://status.adminforge.de/">status.adminforge.de</a></li> <li>Grafana Dashboard: <a href="https://stats.adminforge.de/d/000000025/adminforge-mastodon" title="Mastodon Statistiken">stats.adminforge.de</a></li> <li>Deutschsprachiges ActivityPub Relay: <a href="https://relay.kanoa.de/">relay.kanoa.de</a></li> </ul> <h4>Moderation</h4> <ul> <li>Verwalter: <a href="https://pixelshot.it/dominion">dominion</a></li> </ul> <h3>Unterstütze uns</h3> <p>Das Betreiben einer zensurfreien Pixelfed Instanz machen wir gerne, kostet aber leider auch Geld. Unterstütze unsere Arbeit mit einer <a href="https://adminforge.de/unterstuetzen/">Spende</a>.</p>Openpixelfed 0.12.6DeutschNone200004,9181,462
(29.7%)		0.00
planet.moe동인 창작 문화 향유자들을 위한 한국어 마스토돈 인스턴스, 플래닛이에요.Openmastodon 4.5.4한국어Enabled500437,67610,228
(27.1%)		2.45
pubeurope.comClosedmastodon 4.4.8EnglishNone5004162146
(90.1%)		121.28
pxlmo.compxlmo is a fun friendly media sharing communityOpenpixelfed 0.12.5EnglishNone500050,0077,275
(14.5%)		1.75
retrogarde.deWriteFreely_BlogsOpenwritefreely 0.16.0Unknown6,747901
(13.4%)		0.03
side.misskey.productions<p style="color:red;font-weight:bold;"> 新規登録用の招待コードは以下のフォームより申請を受け付けています。<br><a href="https://forms.gle/Q63YDybt27Qe6Emo9">https://forms.gle/Q63YDybt27Qe6Emo9</a><br/> <p> さいどみすきーは、『アイドルマスターSideM』が「すきー」な方が、わいわい……がやがや……できることを目的としたMisskeyサーバーです。<br/> ※版権公式とは一切関係ない個人運営サーバーです。 </p> <p> 登録される方は<span style="color:red;font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://docs.side.misskey.productions/">さいどみすきーInfo</a></span>を必ずご確認ください<br/> 登録した時点で、利用規約・プライバシーポリシー・閲覧注意の投稿ルールを確認・了承したものとみなします。 </p>Closedmisskey 2025.11.1Unknown30002,7622.92
social.vivaldi.netVivaldi Social is part of the Mastodon network and is hosted in Iceland by the makers of Vivaldi Browser. Everyone is welcome to join.Openmastodon 4.5.4+vivaldimodEnglishEnabled1337874,6267,202
(9.7%)		0.35
techhub.socialA hub primarily for passionate technologists, but everyone is welcomeOpenmastodon 4.5.4EnglishEnabled1024485,4704,599
(5.4%)		0.33
theforkiverse.comBuilding a better internet with your friends from Hard Fork and Search Engine.Openmastodon 4.5.4EnglishNone50045,1574,773
(92.6%)		0.25
tkz.oneLa comunidad Mastodon más grande en Español para gamers, otakus y geeks. Libre de toxicidad. Contenido de anime, manga, videojuegos, tecnología, cómics, literatura, cine... ¡Únete a la familia!Openmastodon 4.6.0-alpha.1+glitchEspañolEnabled5052937,794634
(1.7%)		0.06
universeodon.comBe one with the #fediverse. Join millions of humans building, creating, and collaborating on Mastodon Social Network. Supports 2000 character posts.Openmastodon 4.4.9EnglishEnabled2000481,7252,304
(2.8%)		0.29
wirtube.deWirTube | Für alle Menschen, die Freidenker sind! Hier kannst Du ein über den Link "Konto erstellen" ein eigenes Profil anlegen, um Videos zu kommentieren und zu bewerten sowie um Video-Kanäle zu abonnieren.Openpeertube 8.0.1DeutschUnknown100,000133
(0.1%)		Idle
yeeti.ioYEETI is an independent and friendly social platform where your voice belongs to you. We put freedom of expression first, unlike traditional social networks.Openmastodon 4.5.3EnglishNone50041,5571,465
(94.1%)		0.00

Last Updated: Wed Jan 14 10:37:15 2026 UTC