Mastodon vs Own.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mastodon
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.
- 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
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Mastodon is the best way to keep up with what’s happening. Follow anyone across the fediverse and see it all in chronological order. No algorithms, ads, or clickbait in sight. This is the official iOS app for Mastodon. In our app, you can: EXPLORE ■ Discover new writers, journalists, artists, photographers, scientists and more ■ See what’s happening in the world READ ■ Keep up with people you care about in a chronological feed with no interruptions ■ Follow hashtags to keep up with specific topics in real time CREATE ■ Post to your followers or the whole world, with polls, high quality images and videos ■ Participate in interesting conversations with other people CURATE ■ Create lists of people to never miss a post ■ Filter words or phrases to control what you do and don’t want to see AND MORE! ■ Login and switch between multiple accounts ■ No spoilers! You can put your posts behind content warnings A POWERFUL PUBLISHING PLATFORM You no longer have to try and appease an opaque algorithm that decides if your friends are going to see what you posted. If they follow you, they’ll see it. If you publish it to the open web, it’s accessible on the open web. You can safely share links to Mastodon in the knowledge that anyone will be able to read them without logging in. Between threads, polls, high quality images, videos, audio, and content warnings, Mastodon offers plenty of ways to express yourself in a way that suits you. A POWERFUL READING PLATFORM We don’t need to show you ads, so we don’t need to keep you in our app. Mastodon has the richest selection of 3rd party apps and integrations so you can choose the experience that fits you best. Thanks to the chronological home feed, it’s easy to tell when you’ve caught up on all updates and can move on to something else. No need to worry that a misclick will ruin your recommendations forever. We don’t guess what you want to see, we let you control it. PROTOCOLS, NOT PLATFORMS Mastodon is not like a traditional social media platform, but is built on a decentralized protocol. You can sign up on our official server, or choose a 3rd party to host your data and moderate your experience. Thanks to the common protocol, no matter what you choose, you can communicate seamlessly with people on other Mastodon servers. But there’s more: With just one account, you can communicate with people from other fediverse platforms. Not happy with your choice? You can always switch to a different Mastodon server while taking your followers with you. For advanced users, you can even host your data on your own infrastructure, since Mastodon is open-source. NON-PROFIT IN NATURE Mastodon is a registered non-profit in the US and Germany. We are not motivated by extracting monetary value from the platform, but by what’s best for the platform. AS FEATURED IN: TIME, Forbes, Wired, The Guardian, CNN, The Verge, TechCrunch, Financial Times, Gizmodo, PCMAG.com, and more.
Own.
This platform empowers creators to grow their audience and gain recognition through a unique, merit-based ranking system. It offers full content ownership, enhanced privacy, and better monetization opportunities compared to other apps. Discover new content and connect with communities in a dynamic and engaging way.
- Gamified discovery system
- Merit-based ranking
- Full content ownership
- Enhanced privacy and control
- Higher creator payouts
- Dynamic media sharing
- Community creation and joining
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Introducing Own. – Grow your community, and compete for the Top Spot. Own. is THE next-gen creator-first media app where content competes weekly, creators rise, and your voice drives what’s hot. Scroll smarter, rank harder, and go viral faster with no bots or narrative control. You are in control. Built for true discovery, made for growth, and powered by you — you are the algorithm. This isn’t just another app. It's where creators and communities rise together — with full ownership of content, audience, and momentum. We are currently in BETA, codes are given out weekly, download the app and become an early Own. Influencer in the new age of media! Why Own.? What you will find and what's to come: •New Way to Discover: Dive into a feed that truly reflects your interests with no bias or censorship. Our smart algorithm is based on a gamified discovery system where creators go viral with zero followers through Own.’s real-time, merit based ranking system. Adapt to your preferences, ensuring you see more of what you love and less of what you don’t. •Privacy and Control First: Maintain full ownership and control over your content, followers and data. Own. is dedicated to providing a secure environment where you can focus on creating without worrying about your privacy. You literally own it all. •Get Paid More: Own. is a platform created to empower influencers and creators - get paid up-to 50% more than all other platforms. •Dynamic Media Sharing and Creation: Share photos, videos, stories and go on lives like never before with our cutting-edge media tools. Create, edit, and enhance your posts with a variety of unique filters and effects — no matter the format. •Innovative Communication: Experience chat and messaging in a fresh way with our new, intuitive conversation features. From disappearing messages to customizable reactions, stay connected with ease. This is the most secure way you will be able to communicate. •Expansive Communities: Join or create communities that align with your passions. Discover new groups, participate in discussions, and make meaningful connections with like-minded people. •Thriving Creator Economy: Own. supports the creator economy by providing various monetization options, including tipping, fan subscriptions, sponsored content for creators, licensing and direct support from your community. Get Ready to Sync Up! — JOIN DOWNLOAD OWN! Sign up now! Whether you're a content creator, influencer, or an average user, Own. is your new home for discovery, creativity and community. Don’t miss out – secure your username! Follow Us: Stay updated on the latest news and sneak peeks by following us on IG : @ownapp_ TikTik: @ownapp X: @ownapp_ Website: www.ownapp.co
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastodon at none against Own.'s 6. Mastodon also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 309). Own.'s advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 48%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Own. sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Mastodon against 4.6 for Own.. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 309, 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 77% of Own.'s.
Mastodon ships an update monthly, Own. weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mastodon | Own. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (13K ratings) | 4.6 (309 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | 77.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | 309 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 158 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Mastodon GmbH | NEMO Enterprises Inc. |
Customer experience
Mastodon
Own.
User reviews
Mastodon
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Friendly and welcoming community
- 🚀 Decentralized and free from corporate control
- 🔒 No data collection or ads
- 🤖 Good alternative to Twitter
- 💡 Ability to self-host servers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Confusing onboarding and server selection
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to web version
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and following people
- 🕰️ Slow or delayed notifications
Own.
From 309 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great alternative to TikTok
- 🚀 Innovative ranking system
- 💡 Safe space for growth
- 🤝 Excellent for networking
- 🔒 Secure and private communication
Room to improve
- 🐛 Upload problems
- 🐛 Buggy and horrible algorithm
- ⏳ Long wait times for access
- ❌ Login issues
- 📉 UI is sluggish and unusable
Bugs and requests
Mastodon
Reported bugs
4 issues- Can't log in or create account
- Keyboard freezes during editing
- Inconsistent behavior when switching accounts
- Notifications not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Own.
Reported bugs
5 issues- Does not allow uploading videos
- Login issues after closing and reopening app
- Video replaces old one in gallery
- Terms and conditions not checkable
- Still waiting in line after signup
Requested features
2 requests- Allow just text posts
- Allow TXT posts
In-app purchases
Mastodon
No in-app purchases
Own.
- 80 Sparks$0.99
- 180 Sparks$1.99
- 500 Sparks$4.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 1,050 Sparks$9.99
- 5,500 Sparks$49.99
- 10,500 Sparks$89.99









