# Mastodon vs Truth Social

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastodon at none against Truth Social's 2. Mastodon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (48% vs 34%). Truth Social's advantage is chart position (#48 vs unranked) and ratings volume (118K vs 13K). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Truth Social sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.49 per month. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Mastodon against 4.5 for Truth Social. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Truth Social has 118K ratings behind it against 13K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Mastodon's written reviews are positive against 34% of Truth Social's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Truth Social every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Truth Social |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [4.5 (118K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truth-social/id1586018825/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13K | **118K** |
| Positive reviews | **48.3% of reviews** | 33.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#48** |
| Size | 110 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [T Media Tech LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586018947) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Truth Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truth-social/id1586018825)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Share your thoughts, news, and media with a global community. Engage in conversations, follow influential voices, and stay informed on breaking news. Express yourself freely and connect with others who share your interests.

**Highlights:** Create and customize your profile, Share posts, photos, and videos, Follow users and view their content, Receive notifications for interactions, Search for interesting voices, Engage in conversations

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Patriot Package Monthly | $14.49 | per month |
| Patriot Package Yearly | $136.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and smooth app experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🤝 Welcoming and engaged community
- 🔍 Unfiltered access to diverse perspectives
- 🗣️ Ability to freely express views without censorship

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- ⚠️ Concerns about echo chamber and lack of moderation
- 🚫 Difficulty registering or accessing the app for some users
- 💬 Limited character count for posts
- 🔒 Requirement to provide phone number for registration

**Reported bugs**

- Registration process issues and long waitlists
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating the app
- Notifications not working properly
- Duplicate posts and difficulty finding new content
- Compatibility problems on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Increase character limit for posts
- Add ability to save or bookmark posts
- Improve threading and conversation view
- Provide more robust moderation tools
- Expand international availability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Truth Social free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastodon or Truth Social?

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Truth Social averages 4.5 from 118K ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Truth Social have ads?

Truth Social shows ads; Mastodon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mastodon or Truth Social?

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Truth Social every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on November 8, 2026 and Truth Social on November 8, 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.*