# Mastodon vs Circles

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastodon at none against Circles's 2. Mastodon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (13K vs 1). Circles's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Circles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $59.99 per year. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Circles 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Circles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-chat-with-legends/id6456485128/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | — |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 110 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [PB Studios OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528016604) |

## 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


### Circles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-chat-with-legends/id6456485128)

Engage in AI-powered conversations with virtual representations of historical figures and experts. Discuss ideas, seek guidance, and gain inspiration from a diverse range of influential personalities.

**Highlights:** AI-driven dialogues with legends, Diverse range of influential personalities, 1-on-1 personalized chats, Discover feature for trending circles, Engaging group circles, Resourceful archive of past conversations

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Legends Access Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| Legends Access Pass | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Circles free?

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

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

Circles is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Circles averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Circles have ads?

Circles shows ads; Mastodon does not.

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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.*