# Mastodon vs TCGPTrading

The clearest difference is rating: Mastodon at 4.5 against TCGPTrading's 3.8. Mastodon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (13K vs 4). TCGPTrading's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 48%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 3.8. 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 complicate that: 48% of Mastodon's written reviews are positive against 75% of TCGPTrading's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mastodon ships an update monthly, TCGPTrading weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastodon | TCGPTrading |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tcgptrading/id6742749107/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 48.3% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 110 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) | [CORNEL-SEBASTIAN OAIE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733477223) |

## 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


### TCGPTrading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tcgptrading/id6742749107)

Facilitates trading of collectible cards by allowing users to display their own cards, browse others' collections, and make exchange offers. Users can also create chats to negotiate trades and complete card sets.

**Highlights:** Display personal card collection, Browse other users' cards, Make exchange offers, Create chat for negotiation, Complete card sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Is TCGPTrading free?

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

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

Mastodon is rated higher. Mastodon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while TCGPTrading averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Mastodon or TCGPTrading have ads?

TCGPTrading shows ads; Mastodon does not.

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

Mastodon ships an update monthly, and TCGPTrading weekly. Most recently, Mastodon was updated on October 17, 2026 and TCGPTrading 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.*