# Mastodon vs Would App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Would App at 100% against Mastodon's 48%. Would App also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Mastodon's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (13K vs 9). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Would App holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 9, 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 100% of Would App's.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, Would App every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | Would App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) | **[4.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/would-app/id6740580483/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 110 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [Would USA, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1790673614) |

## 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


### Would App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/would-app/id6740580483)

This social networking app allows you to discreetly express interest in your existing contacts. If mutual interest is indicated, both users are notified, enabling connections without the pressure of direct initiation. It focuses on people you already know, eliminating strangers and profiles.

**Highlights:** Contacts-based interest indicator, Mutual interest notifications, No stranger profiles, Anonymous invite feature, Discreet interest exploration, Facilitates reconnection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is Would App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastodon or Would App?

Would App is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Would App averages 4.9 from 9 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or Would App have ads?

Neither Mastodon nor Would App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastodon or Would App?

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and Would App every 9 months. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on September 24, 2026 and Would App on June 9, 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.*