Fedistar is a native Mac desktop client for the ActivityPub-based fediverse — supporting Mastodon, Pleroma, and Friendica — built around a TweetDeck-style multi-column layout that keeps several timelines, notifications, and lists visible simultaneously.
What is fedistar?
Fedistar is a free, open-source desktop application that brings multi-column fediverse browsing to macOS, letting you monitor home feeds, local timelines, hashtag streams, and notifications side by side without flipping between browser tabs. It is built with Tauri, which gives it a small memory footprint compared with Electron-based alternatives.
If you have ever used TweetDeck before Twitter shuttered free access, the mental model is identical: columns scroll independently, you can drag them to reorder, and new content slides in at the top without hijacking your scroll position. For anyone managing multiple fediverse accounts across different instances, this is the only workflow that doesn't feel like juggling.
What does fedistar do best?
Fedistar's strongest suit is its multi-column, multi-account layout — something none of the mainstream web clients for Mastodon match natively. I run three columns at once: my home timeline on the left, a curated hashtag on the right, and notifications in the middle. The columns are narrow enough that all three fit comfortably on a 14-inch display without scrolling horizontally.
Beyond layout, fedistar handles the fediverse's server diversity gracefully. Logging into a Pleroma instance alongside a Mastodon one just works — the credential flow is per-server, and the timelines intermix without confusion. Posting, boosting, favouriting, and threading replies all behave exactly as they do on the web, so there is no relearning.
- Persistent columns — home, local, federated, lists, hashtags, notifications, or direct messages
- Multi-account — add accounts from different servers and servers of different software
- Media viewer — images and video open inline without leaving the column
- Keyboard navigation — j/k move through posts, n jumps to notifications
- Light and dark themes — respects macOS system appearance automatically
Is fedistar free?
Yes — fedistar is completely free to download and use, with no premium tier, no subscription, and no in-app purchases. The project is open-source (MIT licensed) and actively maintained on GitHub, which means you can inspect every line, file a bug, or even contribute a pull request.
Who should use fedistar?
Fedistar is aimed squarely at power users of the fediverse who find the single-column experience of apps like Ivory or the official Mastodon web interface too limiting. If you follow a high-velocity feed and also want to watch a conference hashtag and stay on top of replies simultaneously, fedistar is the right tool. Casual or mobile-first users who check Mastodon once a day will probably be happier with Ivory's polished iOS-style interface on the Mac — it is friendlier and more touch-optimised.
Journalists, community managers, and researchers who track multiple hashtags or multiple instances will get the most value here. The same goes for developers who are active in open-source communities where Mastodon is the preferred social layer.
What are the best fedistar alternatives?
The main alternatives on Mac are Ivory (by Tapbots, the former Tweetbot team), Mona, and the Mastodon web app itself. Ivory is the most polished and the closest to a premium native experience, but it is subscription-based and single-column by default — multi-column is hidden behind a setting and feels secondary. Mona offers rich customisation and a timeline filter system that fedistar does not have. The web app is serviceable but requires a browser window.
If you have lived in TweetDeck and want that exact paradigm on the fediverse, fedistar is the only Mac client that matches it without compromise. If you value aesthetics and ease of use over information density, Ivory wins.
How does fedistar compare to Ivory?
Ivory is a better choice if you use one Mastodon account and prioritise a smooth, iOS-familiar reading experience. Fedistar wins on multi-column layout, multi-server flexibility, and cost — it is free where Ivory requires a subscription. Ivory's media handling and overall visual polish are superior; fedistar trades those refinements for raw timeline density and open-source transparency.
