Comparison

Science Social vs Colossus Social Reader

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

Head to head
About

Science Social

Features
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Science.Social is a social media platform designed to cater to individuals with a keen interest in science. Built on a decentralized and privacy-focused ecosystem, Science.Social operates as a Fediverse instance powered by Misskey and utilizes the ActivityPub protocol, enabling seamless interaction across various interconnected platforms.Science.Social offers users the flexibility to tailor their experience according to their preferences, ranging from simple to advanced functionalities. Users can customize their interface using a multi-pane view, similar to X Pro (formerly known as TweetDeck), allowing them to manage multiple timelines simultaneously. These timelines can be curated from verified scientists across diverse fields, as well as local, social, and federated timelines, enhancing the breadth and depth of scientific discourse. The platform supports a variety of widgets designed to enhance user experience and productivity, including: - Digital and analog clocks - Post module for streamlined content creation - Sticky notes and custom buttons for personalized navigation - Calendar integration for event management - RSS reader and ticker for real-time updates - Photos and slideshow functionalities for visual content sharing - UNIX clock and online user indicators for community interaction Science.Social provides a unique feature that allows users to obtain roles corresponding to their field of expertise within the scientific community. These roles are displayed on user profiles, enhancing professional credibility and facilitating networking. Additionally, the platform offers directories of users and posts categorized by verified roles, fostering an organized and efficient way to discover and engage with industry experts. The "Antennas" feature empowers users to apply custom filters to incoming posts, enabling the creation of personalized feeds based on specific keywords. For instance, users can configure a feed to display all posts containing the keyword β€œStarship,” ensuring they remain informed on topics of interest. Science.Social enables users to connect with individuals across the Fediverse, facilitating communication with platforms such as Threads, Tumblr, Flipboard, Mastodon, WordPress, and more. This interconnected ecosystem promotes collaborative engagement and the dissemination of scientific knowledge across multiple networks. Reflecting its commitment to decentralization, Science.Social allows users to seamlessly transfer their profiles, posts, and followers from other social media platforms (including Mastodon, Tumblr, and Threads) to Science.Social. Additionally, users retain full control over their digital identity and are free to undock from Science.Social at any time, migrating to other instances within the decentralized network without losing their data or community connections.

About

Colossus Social Reader

Features
Read full description

Read Mastodon in your language. Free, ad-free, with on-device translation. An independent Mastodon reader that lets you read and reply to posts in other languages using manual or automatic translation powered by Apple Translation. Access your Home, Lists, Bookmarks, and Notifications timelines with fast updates, complete threads, and a new-post counter that preserves your position. Translation is native, processed on-device, and does not send text to external translation services. With Slow Mode, translation is prepared in the background and displayed when you tap the translation button. Customize your experience with Liquid Glass, Light, Dark, and Soft themes, plus a configurable accent color. Also included: β€’ Navigable mentions and profiles, with a Follow button. β€’ Native video and GIF player. β€’ Image viewer with zoom and direct saving to Photos. β€’ Selectable text. β€’ Built-in or external browser. β€’ Spanish and English localization. This is an independent, unofficial Mastodon client. Account creation is not supported. To use the app, sign in with an existing Mastodon account created at: https://joinmastodon.org End User License Agreement (EULA): https://juliocuesta.github.io/LectorDeMastodon/en/terms-of-service.html Privacy Policy: https://juliocuesta.github.io/LectorDeMastodon/en/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Science Social3 screens
Colossus Social Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Colossus Social Reader at every 9 days against Science Social's every 15 months. Science Social's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Science Social ships an update every 15 months, Colossus Social Reader every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Science Social versus Colossus Social Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScience SocialColossus Social Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 9 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size134 MB127 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJoshua HabkaJulio Cuesta

In-app purchases

None

Science Social

No in-app purchases

None

Colossus Social Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Science Social free?
Science Social is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Colossus Social Reader free?
Colossus Social Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Science Social or Colossus Social Reader have ads?
Neither Science Social nor Colossus Social Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Science Social or Colossus Social Reader?
Science Social ships an update every 15 months, and Colossus Social Reader every 9 days. Most recently, Science Social was updated on October 30, 2026 and Colossus Social Reader on November 5, 2026.

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