# Mastodon vs Paligram

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against Paligram's 2.0. Mastodon also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 4) and review sentiment (48% vs 38%). Paligram's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 4, 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 38% of Paligram's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Paligram fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Paligram |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paligram/id6702027385/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **48.3% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 110 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [BashSquare Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717443439) |

## 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


### Paligram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paligram/id6702027385)

A secure messaging and community app focused on privacy and user control. Connect with friends, join interest-based groups, and participate in events within a modern, user-friendly interface. The beta version emphasizes core features and user feedback for future evolution.

**Highlights:** Secure, encrypted messaging, Community-driven interest groups, Event-based conversations, Clean, modern interface, User control over data, Beta version with evolving features

**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 Paligram free?

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

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

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Paligram averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Paligram have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Paligram shows ads.

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

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Paligram fortnightly. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 22, 2026 and Paligram on October 10, 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.*