StarPterano vs glacial
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StarPterano
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StarPterano is a client application for Mastodon, a distributed social networking service. It features a large amount of information that can be viewed, a light operation feel, and a wealth of unique functions. 【Features of StarPterano】 The timeline is displayed in full screen, and can be displayed in multi-columns on the iPad. The background color of selected posts on the timeline changes, as does the color of related posts. Pinch in/out to show/uncheck mini-view for quick viewing of a large number of posts. Pinch out to zoom in and out to see even hard-to-see custom emojis. Pinch out to zoom in and out to see custom emojis that are hard to see. Swipe left or right to switch between multiple accounts easily. A variety of settings are available, including text and icon size, freely selectable accent colors, and relative/absolute time display. Post input can be done while displaying the timeline. Streaming support Automatic CW expansion Long text is automatically displayed with its height limited so that it does not get in the way. Supports custom emoji animations. 【Supported features】 Use of multiple accounts, reply/boost/favorite/bookmark operations for posts on different accounts Timeline streaming Display of custom emoji, emoji picker Post posting functions (images, public range, CW, NSFW) Boosting, favoriting, and bookmarking See who has favorite/boosted a post Conversation display with in_reply_to Animated display of icons and custom emoji Video playback, video posting (compressed) Post GIF animations List function Search function for tags, users, and posts Profile editing Integrated local and home view Reserved postings Polls (post polls, view polls, participate in polls) Editing of posts NowPlaying post, which allows you to post the name of the song that is currently playing. Custom emoji picker ・Display reply destinations and hashtag and emoji suggestions while typing from "@", "#", and ":". Follow hashtags Explore trending posts, hashtags, news, and recommended users Translation function Emoji reactions (Only servers that support fedibird API) 【Notes】 Push notification function is not supported. Filtering function is not supported.
glacial
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Glacial is a lightweight, cross-platform Mastodon client built with Flutter, using the OpenAPI specification to drive API integration. Provide a smooth and intuitive community browsing experience on iOS or macOS devices, allowing you to discover the latest community content at any time. ## Features - Fast discovery: Search any Mastodon server (mastodon.social by default) - Easier content discovery: Browse popular posts, tags, and user lists directly within the app - Stable and reliable architecture: Based on the official Mastodon API specification, ensuring data security and accuracy - Privacy-focused and simple: Lightweight and standalone client, no personal information is stored - Multi-platform design: Supports iOS, iPad, and macOS versions ## Source Code The latest released versions and in-progress versions of all programs can be found at https://github.com/cmj0121/glacial
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: StarPterano at every 4 days against glacial's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
StarPterano ships an update every 4 days, glacial fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StarPterano | glacial |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | SEGO Takayoshi | CHIAHAO TSAI |
In-app purchases
StarPterano
No in-app purchases
glacial
No in-app purchases








