Comparison

Picastro vs Mass Transit

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Picastro

A dedicated social platform for sharing high-resolution astrophotography and space images. Connect with a passionate, ad-free community of stargazers and photographers, from beginners to experts. Showcase your gear, find local meetups, and earn progress badges.

Highlights
  • High-resolution image sharing
  • Ad-free and bot-free community
  • StarCard for gear showcase
  • StarCamps for local meetups
  • Progress badges for growth
  • Beginner and expert friendly
Features
Read full description

Picastro is the ultimate mobile platform for sharing your high-resolution astrophotography and space images — designed by an astronomer, built for the astronomy community. Whether you're a beginner capturing your first star trail or a seasoned astrophotographer imaging distant nebulae, Picastro brings together a passionate, ad-free, and bot-free community that shares your love for the cosmos. Why Picastro?
Hi-Res Images, No Compromises – Share stunning celestial captures in full detail
• Positive, Curated Community – Engage with real people, not algorithms
• Beginner & Expert Friendly – Grow your skills and get inspired by others Exclusive Features:
StarCard – Showcase your gear and style
• StarCamps – Connect locally or globally with others under dark skies
• Progress Badges – Earn NASA-style icons as you explore and grow Unlike general social platforms, Picastro is 100% focused on space. There are no ads, fake accounts, or spam — just pure cosmic content. Join thousands of fellow stargazers and photographers around the world who are already sharing their journey through the universe. Download Picastro now and become part of the astronomy community that's changing the way we share the night sky.

About

Mass Transit

Features
Read full description

Mass Transit helps you share your own public Mastodon posts elsewhere. Sign in to your Mastodon account to browse your original posts, then choose how to share each one. • Browse original posts from your connected account • See post text, hashtags, images, dates and available image descriptions • Post to Bluesky after connecting your account • Share through the iOS share sheet • Copy a link to the original post Replies and boosts are skipped. Mass Transit is an independent app; Mastodon and Bluesky are separate services.

Screenshots

Picastro4 screens
Mass Transit3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mass Transit at every 2 weeks against Picastro's every 3 weeks. Picastro's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Picastro ships an update every 3 weeks, Mass Transit every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Picastro versus Mass Transit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPicastroMass Transit
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (53 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings53 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB8 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperPicastro Global LtdJOHN ANDREW POLLARD

Bugs and requests

Picastro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App shuts down after opening screen
  • App times out with 'no internet connection' error
  • Unable to make a nickname

Requested features

2 requests
  • More upfront pricing information before installation
  • Allowing users to make nicknames

Mass Transit

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Picastro

No in-app purchases

None

Mass Transit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Picastro free?
Picastro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mass Transit free?
Mass Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Picastro or Mass Transit have ads?
Neither Picastro nor Mass Transit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Picastro or Mass Transit?
Picastro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mass Transit every 2 weeks. Most recently, Picastro was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mass Transit on November 10, 2026.

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