# Mastodon vs Element X

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against Element X's 3.4. Mastodon also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 152) and review sentiment (48% vs 40%). Element X's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 152, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Mastodon's written reviews are positive against 40% of Element X's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Element X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Element X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [3.4 (152 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-x-secure-chat-and-call/id1631335820/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 152 |
| Positive reviews | **48.3% of reviews** | 40.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 110 MB | 313 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **18.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [Vector Creations Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154157774) |

## 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


### 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 Mastodon free?

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

### Is Element X free?

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

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

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Element X averages 3.4 from 152 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Element X have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Element X shows ads.

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

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Element X fortnightly. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on September 25, 2026 and Element X on September 24, 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.*