After much upheaval- mass layoffs, resignations, and the return of controversial personalities on Twitter, the uncertainty in the mind of people regarding the future of Twitter is growing more and more. And all this led to a competition between various contenders to become the most eligible Twitter alternative, which makes it important to discuss Hive vs Mastodon. In this article, I will discuss two very talked-about Twitter alternatives- Hive and Mastodon, both of which have been in the limelight ever since the Twitter drama started. So let’s find out the answer to Hive vs. Mastodon: Which one should you choose?
Hive vs Mastodon: A Brief Introduction
Before dwelling on which app you should choose out of Hive and Mastodon, let’s first understand what Mastodon and Hive social are all about. Also, this will help you to understand their similarities and differences in a much better way. And you can decide which one is best for you. So let’s start!
What is Mastodon?
What is Mastodon? Mastodon is a “free, open-source, decentralized social media platform” that aims to be a viable alternative to Twitter. This platform has the potential to become an apt alternative to Twitter as it is also a microblogging site, much like Twitter. But Mastodon is not a single website like the other social media handles you have used until now. It is made up of users on different Servers as it is not a single network where everyone belongs to the same Server but a decentralized one within which you have several communities to join and follow. Mastodon’s founder Eugen Rochko believes that small, closely related communities deal with unwanted behavior more effectively than a large company’s small safety team. And this is the reason you have so many servers in Mastodon.
What is Hive Social?
Hive is a social media platform whose sole aim is to improve things and not to make strange altogether for its users. This app is a combination of three famous social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram, and My Space. The interface is more like Instagram than Twitter, but Text only posts are also available. They provide users with a chronological feed to make it easy to use. Interestingly, they provide self-expression features, including profile music, banners, image/gif/text posts, and much more. And features like Zodiac signs, pronouns, badges, and full app color theme are coming soon! And no doubt, it is much easy to use this platform than the much-talked-about Mastodon. For this week, Hive Social has the top spot in the Social networking category on the US App Store. Approximately 871,000 people installed this app worldwide, most of them from last week only. Also, read How to Setup Hive Social Profile Quickly: Simple & Easy Guide
Hive vs. Mastodon: Differences
Before looking at the similarities, let’s have a look at the difference that Hive and Mastodon share.
Message Comparison Between Hive and Mastodon
When it comes to messaging, it is something that is a must-have on any social media platform. But if I talk about messaging on Mastodon, it is not a different feature available to you like on most of the Social media platforms. You have to open the profile of the person you want to dm and click on 3 dots next to their profile, then select Direct message @username and type the message and click publish. You won’t find a different direct messages column as such. When it comes to Hive, you will get a different messaging column like Instagram and Twitter. But there is a twist you can’t message someone if they don’t follow you. So let’s say you follow someone, but they don’t follow you back. In such cases, that person can message you, but you can’t message them. It’s serious, isn’t it?
Platform Comparison Between Hive and Mastodon
Now, if I talk about what sort of platform Hive and Mastodon are, then Mastodon is an open-source, decentralized platform, whereas Hive is a centralized social media platform like most social medial handles.
Server vs. Interests
Now coming to Server and Interest, if you have an account on Mastodon, you must be aware that you have to choose a server from the available list and then create an account on it. A server is a community of people with the same interests and a set moderation policy that every member must abide by. And choosing which one to join can be a bit challenging for first-time users. Whereas in Hive, you don’t need to worry about which server you should join; simply tap of interests of your choice and get started. This is because they can initially provide you with feeds of your interest, and then you can follow people with like interests.
Hive vs. Mastodon: Similarities
Now coming to similarities between Hive and Mastodon, there are not many things that are similar in these two platforms, but still, there are a few I can tell you about. So let’s talk about them as well.
Option of Content Warning and NSFW
There is no restriction on posting adult content on both platforms. The only thing that needs to be taken care of is adding a warning before posting any such content. In the case of Hive, you have the option of NSFW available to you to use if you are posting any such content. And in Mastodon, you need to add a content warning by tapping on the CW button and writing a brief about the same.
Hive and Mastodon are Equally Popular
Coming to the Popularity of both platforms, no one is lagging behind the other. They both are seen as viable Twitter alternatives. After the recent issues in Twitter, Inc. and the growing uncertainty of the future of the company, most people are looking for Twitter alternatives, and Hive and Mastodon are ruling the list of potential alternatives to Twitter. Until a week ago, Mastodon was much talked about, but the recent reply of Musk to a tweet questioning the existence of Hive made people explore this option too.
Hive vs Mastodon: Which One is Safer?
Mastodon is an open-source platform that can raise some serious security issues, and also, it is not an end-to-end encrypted platform like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. And many plugins let you do different tasks that pose a serious safety threat. So if you are using Mastodon, then it is advisable to use strong passwords and opt for 2FA on Mastodon, which will protect your profile from unauthorized people. And be careful while sending DMs as they are not encrypted, and the other person can switch your private conversation to the public by mentioning a person at any time. On the other side, Hive is a safe-to-use app. It promotes positive awareness of the social issues on the app, and there is a set of definitive guidelines which every user needs to follow. So you can say Hive is a much safer app to use when compared to Mastodon. Also, read How to Create an Account in Hive With Just Few Simple Steps
Hive vs Mastodon: Which One Should You Choose?
Now the much-awaited question is which one you should choose, Hive or Mastodon? Well, personally speaking, Hive is much easier to use as well as to understand than Mastodon. The first issue with Mastodon is deciding which server to join. Even after joining a server, it seems very difficult to start. But with Hive, I didn’t find any such issue. Still, this app has to work a lot on the technical aspects of the app, like the issue of lag and crash and much talked about upcoming features, so that users can use it smoothly.
Wapping Up
With this, I come to the end of this blog, and I hope now all your doubts regarding Hive vs Mastodon: Which one should you choose are resolved? And now you can also choose for yourself as per your needs. So, guys, that’s it for today. Take care! And keep visiting our website path of ex for more such updates related to Social media, Gaming, and Technology. Bye! Bye!
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