# dev.to vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against dev.to's 3.8. Mastodon also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 32) and review sentiment (48% vs 39%). dev.to's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of dev.to's written reviews are positive against 48% of Mastodon's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | dev.to | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devto/id1536933197/reviews) | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | 39.3% of reviews | **48.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 47 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Dev Community Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439094789) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### dev.to

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/devto/id1536933197)

Explore and engage with a blogging-forward social network focused on code creators. Discover content, follow tags and members, and stay updated on the evolving Forem ecosystem.

**Highlights:** Navigate Forem ecosystem, Follow dev.to tags and members, Discover Forem ecosystem content, Read blog posts, Write blog posts, Stay up-to-date

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 dev.to free?

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

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, dev.to or Mastodon?

Mastodon is rated higher. dev.to averages 3.8 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do dev.to or Mastodon have ads?

Neither dev.to nor Mastodon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, dev.to or Mastodon?

dev.to ships an update monthly, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, dev.to was updated on October 8, 2026 and Mastodon on October 13, 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.*