# Mastodon vs Own.

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.

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 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Own. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) | **[4.6 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/own-post-go-viral-repeat/id6470322906/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 309 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **77.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 110 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [NEMO Enterprises Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1713420995) |

## 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


### Own.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/own-post-go-viral-repeat/id6470322906)

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.

**Highlights:** Gamified discovery system, Merit-based ranking, Full content ownership, Enhanced privacy and control, Higher creator payouts, Dynamic media sharing, Community creation and joining

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80 Sparks | $0.99 | one-time |
| 180 Sparks | $1.99 | one-time |
| 500 Sparks | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,050 Sparks | $9.99 | one-time |
| 5,500 Sparks | $49.99 | one-time |
| 10,500 Sparks | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great alternative to TikTok
- 🚀 Innovative ranking system
- 💡 Safe space for growth
- 🤝 Excellent for networking
- 🔒 Secure and private communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Upload problems
- 🐛 Buggy and horrible algorithm
- ⏳ Long wait times for access
- ❌ Login issues
- 📉 UI is sluggish and unusable

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Allow just text posts
- Allow TXT posts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Own. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastodon or Own.?

Own. is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Own. averages 4.6 from 309 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Own. have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Own. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastodon or Own.?

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Own. weekly. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 30, 2026 and Own. on October 27, 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.*