Running your own Mastodon instance with Docker Compose

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:50:26 +0000

I’ve set up a Mastodon instance probably four or five times now, and each time I go through the same ritual of hunting down documentation that’s either six months out of date or assumes you already know which files go where. So here’s the thing I keep meaning to write.

What you need

A server with Docker and Docker Compose, a domain name pointing at it, and an SMTP provider — Mailgun, SendGrid, or your own mail server. That’s the whole list. No Kubernetes, no systemd, no compiling from source.

Docker Compose on Shafiq Alibhai

Running your own Mastodon instance with Docker Compose

What you need