# Mona Classic vs Irys

The clearest difference is ads: Mona Classic at none against Irys's shown. Mona Classic also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (166 vs 40). Irys's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mona Classic sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Irys sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mona Classic holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 166 and 40 respectively.

Mona Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, Irys weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mona Classic | Irys |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mona-classic/id1659154653/reviews)** | [4.2 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irys/id6744528226/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 40 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 77 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Junyu Kuang](https://appshunter.io/developer/961945907) | [Silvertone Media Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796124450) |

## 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


### Irys

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/irys/id6744528226)

This app is a community for photography enthusiasts to share their work, connect with others, and get inspired. It offers features like large image uploads, no follower counts, and curated content, with opportunities to win prizes through competitions.

**Highlights:** Upload images up to 50MB, No visible follower counts, Curated photography highlights, Share any aspect ratio, Join and curate groups, Organize work by themes/portfolios, Spotlight competitions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Great alternative to Instagram
- 👍 Positive community vibe
- 💡 Focused on photography
- 🤗 Throwback to old Instagram

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤢 Awful color scheme and UI
- 🤯 Buggy and freezes often
- 💰 Monetization issues

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when trying to post
- Invite codes not working

**Requested features**

- Improve UI and UX design
- Fix bugs and stability issues
- Reconsider monetization strategy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mona Classic free?

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

### Is Irys free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mona Classic or Irys?

Mona Classic is rated higher. Mona Classic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Irys averages 4.2 from 40 ratings.

### Do Mona Classic or Irys have ads?

Irys shows ads; Mona Classic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mona Classic or Irys?

Mona Classic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Irys weekly. Most recently, Mona Classic was updated on October 21, 2026 and Irys on October 25, 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.*