# Icro vs Element X

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Icro at 100% against Element X's 39%. Icro also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). Element X's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Icro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Element X asks for nothing beyond the download.

Icro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element X has 162 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Icro's written reviews are positive against 39% of Element X's.

Icro ships an update every 2 months, Element X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Icro | Element X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icro/id1375296597/reviews)** | [3.4 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-x-secure-chat-and-call/id1631335820/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **162** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 38.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 341 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Martin Hartl](https://appshunter.io/developer/591053556) | [Vector Creations Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154157774) |

## What reviewers say

### Icro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icro/id1375296597)

This app provides a streamlined way to interact with micro.blog and WordPress hosted sites. View timelines, mentions, and discover content, while also posting updates and replying to conversations. It offers features like saving reading positions and muting unwanted content.

**Highlights:** View timelines, mentions, and discover sections, Post to micro.blog and WordPress sites, Reply to users and view conversations, Save reading position, Cache older posts, Mute/Blacklist users and keywords

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Thank You! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Thank You! | $3.99 | one-time |
| Huge Thank You | $8.99 | one-time |


### Element X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-x-secure-chat-and-call/id1631335820)

Communicate securely and privately with instant messaging and video calls. This app offers robust features for individuals and communities, allowing you to own your data and choose where it's hosted. Enjoy real-time communication with synchronized history across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Real-time messaging, Video calls, Public and private rooms, Rich messaging features, Cross-device synchronization, Data ownership and server choice

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Icro free?

Icro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Element X free?

Element X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Icro or Element X?

Icro is rated higher. Icro averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Element X averages 3.4 from 162 ratings.

### Do Icro or Element X have ads?

Neither Icro nor Element X shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Icro or Element X?

Icro ships an update every 2 months, and Element X fortnightly. Most recently, Icro was updated on September 16, 2026 and Element X on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*