# Mona Classic vs Thunder for Lemmy

The clearest difference is rating: Mona Classic at 4.4 against Thunder for Lemmy's 3.6. Mona Classic also leads on ratings volume (166 vs 14). Thunder for Lemmy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mona Classic sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Thunder for Lemmy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mona Classic holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mona Classic has 166 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 71% and 71% positive.

Mona Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, Thunder for Lemmy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mona Classic | Thunder for Lemmy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mona-classic/id1659154653/reviews)** | [3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunder-for-lemmy/id6450518497/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 70.5% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 77 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Junyu Kuang](https://appshunter.io/developer/961945907) | [Hamlet Jiang Su](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693685788) |

## What reviewers say

### Mona Classic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mona-classic/id1659154653)

This app offers extensive customization for a popular social network, allowing users to reorder actions, set swipe gestures, and personalize notes for other users. It also features iCloud sync, game controller support, and privacy-focused design.

**Highlights:** Customizable post actions and swipe gestures, iCloud sync for settings and data, Private user notes and aliases, Game controller support, Full-screen and column view modes, Customizable themes and accent colors

**Features:** Game Controller support, Safari Extension, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mona Pro Max (14-day trial) | Free | one-time |
| Small Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Mona Pro Max | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mona Pro for Mac | $11.99 | one-time |
| Mona Pro for iPad | $11.99 | one-time |
| Mona Pro for iPhone | $11.99 | one-time |
| Mona Pro Max | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly customizable
- 👍 Smooth and polished UI
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Excellent accessibility support
- 👍 Robust multi-device sync

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Basic features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Expensive for a Mastodon app
- 🐛 Sync issues between devices
- 🐛 Notification issues

**Reported bugs**

- Locking up after viewing full-screen photos
- Replies not loading properly
- Inconsistent behavior with server-side features

**Requested features**

- Ability to mute individual posts
- Improved thread viewing experience
- More app icon options
- Custom notification sounds


### Thunder for Lemmy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunder-for-lemmy/id6450518497)

An open-source client for exploring the fediverse, offering multi-account support and extensive customization. Navigate communities, posts, and comments with swipe gestures and a Safari extension for seamless linking. Still in early development with more features planned.

**Highlights:** Open source client, Multi-account support, Customizable settings, Swipe gestures, Safari extension

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mona Classic free?

Mona Classic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Thunder for Lemmy free?

Thunder for Lemmy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mona Classic or Thunder for Lemmy?

Mona Classic is rated higher. Mona Classic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Thunder for Lemmy averages 3.6 from 14 ratings.

### Do Mona Classic or Thunder for Lemmy have ads?

Neither Mona Classic nor Thunder for Lemmy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mona Classic or Thunder for Lemmy?

Mona Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Thunder for Lemmy every 2 weeks. Most recently, Mona Classic was updated on October 27, 2026 and Thunder for Lemmy on October 24, 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.*