# Parallel Social vs Mainchan

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Parallel Social at 5 against Mainchan's 1. Parallel Social also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Parallel Social against 5.0 for Mainchan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Parallel Social has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Parallel Social | Mainchan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-social/id6455427268/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainchan/id6504781365/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 23 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Parallel Communications LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712009149) | [Tikichan Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1753830764) |

## What reviewers say

### Parallel Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parallel-social/id6455427268)

This social network prioritizes authentic connections and user privacy with an open-source, community-driven approach. It offers an algorithm-free, chronological feed for a more transparent and controlled social media experience.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first design, Open-source and community-driven, Algorithm-free chronological feed, Authentic connections, Transparent platform

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mainchan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainchan/id6504781365)

Engage in a content aggregation and discussion platform where users can submit various content types to organized boards. Features include anonymous posting, personalized feeds, and organized saved content. Enhance interactions with community emotes and comment images.

**Highlights:** Anonymous posting, Personalized follow feed, Organized save folders, Private message search, Highlighted comments, Community emotes, Comment images

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Parallel Social free?

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

### Is Mainchan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Parallel Social or Mainchan?

Parallel Social and Mainchan are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Parallel Social or Mainchan have ads?

Neither Parallel Social nor Mainchan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Parallel Social or Mainchan?

Parallel Social ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mainchan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Parallel Social was updated on September 16, 2026 and Mainchan on June 5, 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.*