Pixelfed vs Popsicle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pixelfed
Share your photography with a community that values creativity, authenticity, and privacy. This app offers an ethical alternative to mainstream social media, giving users control over their content and data.
- Ad-free photo sharing
- Privacy-focused
- User content control
- Authentic community
- Ethical social media alternative
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Share your photography with a community that values creativity, authenticity, and privacy. Pixelfed is the ethical alternative to traditional social media platforms, putting you in control of your content and data.
Popsicle
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Every day you have the opportunity to share a music recommendation. If you do, you gain access to all your friends' latest recos.
Screenshots
Verdict
Pixelfed and Popsicle are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pixelfed | Popsicle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (546 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 546 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Daniel Supernault | Alexandre Laurin |
Bugs and requests
Pixelfed
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to post photos or send DMs
- Inconsistent heart/like behavior
- Crashes and freezes on app launch
- Incompatibility with certain servers
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Video support
- Improved collections/albums management
- Seamless onboarding and server selection
- Better notifications and interaction tracking
Popsicle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pixelfed
No in-app purchases
Popsicle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pixelfed free?
Is Popsicle free?
Do Pixelfed or Popsicle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pixelfed or Popsicle?
Other comparisons
