TheDesk mobile client vs Herd for Mastodon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TheDesk mobile client
This social networking app allows users to view up to six Mastodon timelines concurrently. It includes standard streaming functionality for real-time updates.
- View up to 6 timelines simultaneously
- Standard streaming included
- Mastodon client
- Real-time updates
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Mastodon client. Up to 6 timelines can be viewed simultaneously at the same time. Streaming is included as standard.
Herd for Mastodon
Connect with millions on Mastodon using this iOS client. Manage multiple accounts, view timelines, send direct messages, and organize follows with lists. Discover trending content and people.
- Multi-account support
- Home, Local & Federated timelines
- Bookmarks & Direct messages
- Notifications
- People & Hashtag recommendations
- Lists for organizing follows
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A brand new Mastodon client for iOS - be heard with Herd! Simply log in with an existing Mastodon account (or create one at https://joinmastodon.org if you don't have one already) and start chatting with millions of Mastodon users. Herd has: Swipe to switch between multiple accounts; Home, Local & Federated timelines; Bookmarks; Direct messages; Favorites; Notifications; Explore the larger world of Mastodon with People Recommendations (For You), Hashtags, News, Trending Posts and Search; and group people you follow together using Lists for your Friends, Family, Tech News, Artists, Authors, etc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TheDesk mobile client at Free against Herd for Mastodon's $0.99. Herd for Mastodon's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 2.0) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
TheDesk mobile client is free to download; Herd for Mastodon costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Herd for Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
TheDesk mobile client ships an update every 3 days, Herd for Mastodon daily. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | TheDesk mobile client | Herd for Mastodon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Ryuki Yoshikawa | Ross Cooper |
Customer experience
TheDesk mobile client
Herd for Mastodon
In-app purchases
TheDesk mobile client
No in-app purchases
Herd for Mastodon
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is TheDesk mobile client free?
Is Herd for Mastodon free?
Which has better reviews, TheDesk mobile client or Herd for Mastodon?
Do TheDesk mobile client or Herd for Mastodon have ads?
Which is updated more often, TheDesk mobile client or Herd for Mastodon?
Other comparisons
