# Mastodon vs ~orange~

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ~orange~ at 100% against Mastodon's 48%. ~orange~ also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Mastodon's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 14) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). 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.

~orange~ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 14, 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 100% of ~orange~'s.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, ~orange~ every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | ~orange~ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orange/id6449561233/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 110 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [Propagation Applications, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453793714) |

## 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


### ~orange~

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orange/id6449561233)

A private photo-sharing app for friends and family, free from ads and algorithms. It focuses on deepening connections and fostering community without the pressure of social media trends. Share moments with loved ones in a simple, intentional space.

**Highlights:** Private photo sharing, Ad-free experience, Algorithm-free feed, Focus on connections, Simple interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is ~orange~ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastodon or ~orange~?

~orange~ is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while ~orange~ averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or ~orange~ have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor ~orange~ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastodon or ~orange~?

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and ~orange~ every 6 months. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 16, 2026 and ~orange~ on October 9, 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.*