We are proud to offer plenty of reasons for New Yorkers to choose Masto.NYC as their home in the fediverse, whether as a main account or as a complement to their presence on other social media platforms.

This page lists the most important ways that Masto.NYC is different from other social media platforms.

Differences from commercial social media

As a Mastodon server run by a nonprofit organization, Masto.NYC stands out from the world of profit-seeking social-media silos such as X and BlueSky:

  • We will never sell ad space. We raise money only through nonprofit fundraising sources, including voluntary user donations.

  • We will never sell your data. We retain user data only as needed to keep core services functioning, and will never try to monetize it.

  • We will never sell out. We’re structured as a nonprofit, so we literally can’t take investment from rapacious venture capital firms or billionaire megalomaniacs, even if we wanted to. (Which we don’t.)

  • We don’t lock you in. If you change your mind about staying on Masto.NYC, you can migrate your account freely to most other fediverse servers, including other Mastodon servers.

  • We respect your time and attention. Because we don’t run ads or collect data to sell, we have no motivation to keep you on the system for longer than you wish. We will never manipulate you with algorithms designed to upset or addict you for “engagement”.

  • Our software has no secrets. Our service is based on Mastodon, an open-source social media platform, developed in the sunlight by its own community.

Differences from other Mastodon or fediverse servers

Masto.NYC sets itself apart from other fediverse servers in a number of ways:

  • We’re 100% NYC. We require all new accounts to represent people or organizations that reside in the New York metropolitan area. Other Masto.NYC users are your neighbors, making your Local feed truly local.

  • Our nonprofit status makes us more resilient. Masto.NYC is run by Five Borough Fedi Project, a New York-based nonprofit corporation. Its operation by a board of directors instead of a single individual helps the Masto.NYC service stay more resilient and accountable. Our ability to accept tax-deductible donations from both individuals and corporations helps keep our services funded, with the opportunity to grow when needed.

  • We actively enforce our server’s rules. Our moderation team takes all reports of misbehavior seriously, whether they involve Masto.NYC users or federated ones. This includes our rule of New York-style neighborliness: You don’t have to be nice, but you gotta be kind. We treasure realness, and reject jerkiness.

Sound good to you? Set up a free Masto.NYC account. Have questions? Email us!