# LimeChat vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is price: Mastodon at Free against LimeChat's $4.99. Mastodon also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (13K vs 11). LimeChat's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 48%) and chart position (#64 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Mastodon is free to download; LimeChat costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of LimeChat's written reviews are positive against 48% of Mastodon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, Mastodon monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LimeChat | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.1 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/limechat-irc-client/id298766460/reviews) | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | **65.2% of reviews** | 48.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Satoshi Nakagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/289930656) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### LimeChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/limechat-irc-client/id298766460)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Paid · Social Networking (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive IRC chat experience on mobile devices. It offers quick navigation, message highlighting, and support for multiple servers and channels. Enjoy seamless communication with features like automatic authentication and a built-in browser for links.

**Highlights:** Quick navigation with arrow buttons, Event indicators for other channels, Message highlighting and vibration, Visual user information (whois), Built-in browser for URLs, Multiple server and channel support, Automatic Nickserv authentication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and lightweight IRC client
- 👍 Clean, intuitive, and simple user interface
- 🔒 Supports SSL connections and security features
- 📱 Works well on both iPhone and iPad
- 🎯 Reliable and stable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Keyboard jumping/positioning issues on iOS
- 🔌 Disconnects when app is backgrounded
- 🐛 Connection drops on WiFi and VPN
- ❌ No background connectivity/refresh
- 🐛 Scrolling issues after sending messages

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard jumps when sending messages (iOS 26.1)
- Scrolling breaks after message send
- App disconnects when backgrounded
- Connection drops on WiFi/VPN
- Keyboard doesn't appear on iPhone X

**Requested features**

- Background connectivity and app refresh
- Push/pop-up notifications
- Nick/username autocomplete
- Split view support for iPad
- Landscape mode


### Mastodon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974)

Connect with others on a decentralized social network. Share posts, images, and videos in chronological order without algorithms or ads. Discover new content and participate in conversations across the fediverse.

**Highlights:** Chronological feed, No algorithms or ads, Discover new users and topics, Post with images, videos, and polls, Create custom lists, Filter content, Cross-platform communication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Friendly and welcoming community
- 🚀 Decentralized and free from corporate control
- 🔒 No data collection or ads
- 🤖 Good alternative to Twitter
- 💡 Ability to self-host servers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Confusing onboarding and server selection
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to web version
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and following people
- 🕰️ Slow or delayed notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Can't log in or create account
- Keyboard freezes during editing
- Inconsistent behavior when switching accounts
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add local and federated timelines
- Improve search and discovery features
- Implement edit and delete post functionality
- Add support for animated GIFs
- Provide better accessibility options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LimeChat free?

LimeChat costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mastodon free?

Mastodon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LimeChat or Mastodon?

Mastodon is rated higher. LimeChat averages 3.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do LimeChat or Mastodon have ads?

Neither LimeChat nor Mastodon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LimeChat or Mastodon?

LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, LimeChat was updated on October 12, 2026 and Mastodon on October 13, 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.*