# Mastodon vs Kindly Ink

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against Kindly Ink's 3.8. Mastodon also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (13K vs 13). Kindly Ink's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kindly Ink sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 13, 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 25% of Kindly Ink's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Kindly Ink every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Kindly Ink |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [3.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kindly-ink/id6738264916/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **48.3% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 110 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [guoyong dong](https://appshunter.io/developer/626163485) |

## 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


### Kindly Ink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kindly-ink/id6738264916)

Create and send personalized handwritten letters via email. Choose from various stationery and envelopes to craft unique messages. Save digital copies of your creations.

**Highlights:** Handwritten letter creation, Email delivery, Customizable stationery and envelopes, Digital letter saving, iPad exclusive experience, Easy sign-up

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Kindly Ink free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastodon or Kindly Ink?

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Kindly Ink averages 3.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Kindly Ink have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Kindly Ink shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastodon or Kindly Ink?

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Kindly Ink every 2 days. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 31, 2026 and Kindly Ink on October 25, 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.*