# Mastodon vs AstroImg

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against AstroImg's 4.0. Mastodon also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 10). AstroImg's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Mastodon's written reviews are positive against 50% of AstroImg's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | AstroImg |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroimg-explore-starry-sky/id6444820215/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 110 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367782033) |

## 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


### AstroImg

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroimg-explore-starry-sky/id6444820215)

Discover stunning astronomical photographs shared by amateurs worldwide. Connect with fellow stargazers, learn about the universe, and enhance your astrophotography skills with tutorials and helpful tools.

**Highlights:** Explore astronomical photographs, Connect with astro-pals, Learn about the universe, Astrophotography tutorials, Stargazing spot information, Light Pollution Map, Multi-language support

**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 AstroImg free?

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

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

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while AstroImg averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or AstroImg have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor AstroImg shows ads.

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

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and AstroImg monthly. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 29, 2026 and AstroImg on October 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.*