# TeleGuard vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is price: Mastodon at Free against TeleGuard's $3.99. Mastodon also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). TeleGuard's advantage is chart position (#3 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 18.6). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Mastodon is free to download; TeleGuard costs $3.99 up front. TeleGuard sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of TeleGuard's written reviews are positive against 48% of Mastodon's.

TeleGuard ships an update every 5 weeks, Mastodon monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TeleGuard | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.1 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teleguard/id1505636751/reviews) | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 239 | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.8% of reviews | **48.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 103 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Swisscows AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1013972705) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### TeleGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teleguard/id1505636751)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Social Networking, #44 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app offers a secure and anonymous messaging experience with no registration or data collection. It uses strong encryption for all communications and stores no user data on its servers. Connect with friends using unique IDs and QR codes for verified contact.

**Highlights:** Anonymous messaging, End-to-end encryption, Text and voice messages, Video and voice calls, File sharing, Group chats, QR code contact verification

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Advanced calls promo | $2.49 | one-time |
| Medium coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| TeleGuard ID | $2.99 | one-time |
| Advanced calls | $3.49 | one-time |
| Big coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5$ | $4.99 | one-time |
| Channel | $7.00 | one-time |
| 20$ | $19.99 | one-time |
| 100$ | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 No phone number or email required for registration
- 🔒 Strong privacy and encryption features
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 📞 Good call quality when working
- 🌍 Swiss-based company with trusted reputation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Unexpected charges and overpricing
- 🐢 Extremely slow media upload/download speeds
- 🐛 Frequent server connection failures
- ⚠️ App crashes and poor stability
- 📱 No native iPad support

**Reported bugs**

- No connection to server error (widespread and persistent)
- App crashes when purchasing unique ID
- App crashes when adding phone credit
- Videos fail to load or play
- Video volume not working

**Requested features**

- Native iPad application
- Emoji reactions to messages
- Poll creation in group chats
- Bluetooth headphone/speaker switching
- Dark mode and customization options


### Mastodon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974)

Connect with others on a decentralized social network. Share posts, images, and videos in chronological order without algorithms or ads. Discover new content and participate in conversations across the fediverse.

**Highlights:** Chronological feed, No algorithms or ads, Discover new users and topics, Post with images, videos, and polls, Create custom lists, Filter content, Cross-platform communication

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Friendly and welcoming community
- 🚀 Decentralized and free from corporate control
- 🔒 No data collection or ads
- 🤖 Good alternative to Twitter
- 💡 Ability to self-host servers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Confusing onboarding and server selection
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to web version
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and following people
- 🕰️ Slow or delayed notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Can't log in or create account
- Keyboard freezes during editing
- Inconsistent behavior when switching accounts
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add local and federated timelines
- Improve search and discovery features
- Implement edit and delete post functionality
- Add support for animated GIFs
- Provide better accessibility options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TeleGuard free?

TeleGuard costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TeleGuard or Mastodon?

Mastodon is rated higher. TeleGuard averages 3.1 out of 5 from 239 ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do TeleGuard or Mastodon have ads?

Neither TeleGuard nor Mastodon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TeleGuard or Mastodon?

TeleGuard ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, TeleGuard was updated on October 18, 2026 and Mastodon on October 19, 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.*