# Kickstarter vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is ads: Mastodon at none against Kickstarter's shown. Mastodon also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (48% vs 32%). Kickstarter's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#165 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Kickstarter holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 60K and 13K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of Kickstarter'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.

Kickstarter ships an update every 4 weeks, Mastodon monthly. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kickstarter | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (60K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532/reviews)** | [4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **60K** | 13K |
| Positive reviews | 32.4% of reviews | **48.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kickstarter, PBC](https://appshunter.io/developer/596961535) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### Kickstarter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532)

**Currently charting:** #165 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Explore and support innovative projects across various creative fields. Discover groundbreaking ideas in games, technology, art, and more. Pledge to projects that inspire you and stay updated on their progress.

**Highlights:** Discover creative projects globally, Pledge to projects, Receive project updates, Track backings, Join a global creative community

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Handy tracker for backed projects
- 👍 Great app and great service
- 🚀 Bypass the traditional economy!
- 👍 Very nice
- 👍 Excellent

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Works well enough unless you support a lot of projects
- 🐛 App is very buggy
- 🔒 Scammers Paradise
- 🔒 Don't fall into the trap
- 🔒 platform setup to scam you

**Reported bugs**

- Explore tab broken in latest update
- Notifications not working correctly
- Activity feed not updating
- Issues with submitting surveys through the app
- Clunky UI, especially when updating pledges

**Requested features**

- Allow filtering backed projects by status (received, active, closed)
- Ability to follow creators directly in the app
- Improve comments section (threading, search, etc.)
- Add an archive/delete function for completed/cancelled projects
- Introduce a read/unread project status


### 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 Kickstarter free?

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

### Is Mastodon free?

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

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

Kickstarter is rated higher. Kickstarter averages 4.8 out of 5 from 60K ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do Kickstarter or Mastodon have ads?

Kickstarter shows ads; Mastodon does not.

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

Kickstarter ships an update every 4 weeks, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, Kickstarter was updated on November 11, 2026 and Mastodon on November 11, 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.*