# Buffer vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastodon at none against Buffer's 12. Buffer's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Buffer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 48% of Mastodon's.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Mastodon monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews)** | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 13K |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 48.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #200 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Streamline your social media presence by planning, scheduling, and publishing content across multiple platforms from one app. Engage with your audience and track performance with insightful analytics. Ideal for creators looking to grow their online presence efficiently.

**Highlights:** Cross-platform posting, Content scheduling, Idea organization, Performance analytics, Calendar view, Apple Watch app

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials - 1 Channel | $5.99 | per month |
| Essentials+Team: 1 Channel | $11.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 2 Channels | $11.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Month | $14.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 3 Channels | $17.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 4 Channels | $23.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 5 Channels | $29.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 6 Channels | $35.99 | per month |
| Small Business | $99.99 | per month |
| Small Business for 1 Month | $99.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Year | $144.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Easy to use
- 🕰️ Convenient scheduling
- 🔍 Helpful for social media management
- 🤖 Automated posting
- 📈 Improved engagement and growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and bugs
- 🔗 Unreliable platform integrations
- 📸 Limited image/video handling capabilities
- 🔒 Frustrating login/authentication problems
- 💰 Expensive paid plans

**Reported bugs**

- Drafts not registering in visual calendar
- Inability to reorder scheduled posts
- Inconsistent behavior between mobile and desktop versions
- Automatic posting not working as expected
- Issues with image/video quality and formatting

**Requested features**

- Add support for Twitter threads
- Improve visual planning and calendar view
- Integrate with more platforms like Slack and Discord
- Allow more customization and control over posts
- Provide better analytics and performance insights


### 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 Buffer free?

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

### Is Mastodon free?

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

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

Buffer is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do Buffer or Mastodon have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Mastodon shows ads.

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

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, Buffer was updated on October 16, 2026 and Mastodon on October 15, 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.*