# Mastowatch vs Cipher Message

The clearest difference is ads: Mastowatch at none against Cipher Message's shown. Mastowatch also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 2). Cipher Message's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (18.5 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mastowatch sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Cipher Message sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cipher Message holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastowatch has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Mastowatch ships an update monthly, Cipher Message fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastowatch | Cipher Message |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastowatch-mastodon-servers/id1662271463/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-message/id6748971173/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 40 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Justin Ferrell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662266030) | [Nathaniel Van Evera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827814572) |

## What reviewers say

### Mastowatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastowatch-mastodon-servers/id1662271463)

Discover and explore Mastodon servers with this utility app. Get detailed statistics, view trending content, and check server rules and limitations without needing to log in.

**Highlights:** Find Mastodon servers, Inspect server details, View user and post counts, See trending links and posts, Check blocked domains, Discover custom emoji, Review server rules

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mastowatch Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Medium tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### Cipher Message

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-message/id6748971173)

Easily encrypt and decrypt messages within your messaging app using various classic ciphers. Protect your conversations with friends and upgrade for advanced encryption methods and Face ID unlock.

**Highlights:** Encrypt/decrypt in iMessage, Classic ciphers (Caesar, Vigenère), Advanced ciphers (AES), Face ID unlock, Private conversations

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cipher Message Premium | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastowatch free?

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

### Is Cipher Message free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastowatch or Cipher Message?

Cipher Message is rated higher. Mastowatch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Cipher Message averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Mastowatch or Cipher Message have ads?

Cipher Message shows ads; Mastowatch does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mastowatch or Cipher Message?

Mastowatch ships an update monthly, and Cipher Message fortnightly. Most recently, Mastowatch was updated on October 4, 2026 and Cipher Message on October 1, 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.*