# Mastodon vs Spill

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spill at every 9 days against Mastodon's monthly. Spill also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). Mastodon's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (13K vs 1.6K). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Mastodon against 4.6 for Spill. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 1.6K, 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 64% of Spill's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Spill every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Spill |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spill-app/id1672615367/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **63.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 110 MB | 217 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [Real Spill Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1672615369) |

## 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


### Spill

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spill-app/id1672615367)

Connect with others through live audio, video, and chat. Discover trending topics, join or create communities, and engage in daily games. Share your ideas and art, or simply join the conversation.

**Highlights:** Discover trending topics, Create and join communities, Live audio, video, and chat, Share ideas and art, Play daily games, Virtual conversation spaces

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth app experience
- 👍 Positive and productive engagement
- 🔒 Safe and inclusive community
- 🎨 Stylish and customizable design
- 🌟 Excellent community features (Tea Parties, Spades, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Issues with login/signup process
- 🔧 Needs more customization options
- 🔍 Limited search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Difficulty changing email/phone number
- Groups feature causing crashes
- Misaligned UI elements on sign-up

**Requested features**

- Add ability to edit/delete posts
- Improve notification system
- Integrate music/audio sharing
- Expand group/community features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Spill free?

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

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

Spill is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Spill averages 4.6 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Spill have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Spill shows ads.

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

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Spill every 9 days. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on September 24, 2026 and Spill on September 22, 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.*