Comparison

Pheme for Mastodon vs Halflight Client

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

Head to head
About

Pheme for Mastodon

This app provides a streamlined and responsive interface for interacting with the Fediverse. It offers features like live-updating timelines, one-tap interactions, media viewing, and robust search capabilities. Advanced customization and full feature access are available through a premium subscription.

Highlights
  • Live-updating timelines
  • One-tap post interactions
  • Inline media playback
  • Search posts and users
  • Customizable lists
  • Real-time notifications
  • Multi-account support
Features
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Pheme is a third-party Mastodon client for the Fediverse, built entirely with native UIKit for a smooth, responsive, and distraction-free experience. TIMELINE Live-updating home timeline with infinite scrolling. Smart reading position preservation — picks up exactly where you left off after a refresh. Unread count badge so you always know what's new. Switch between Local and Federated timelines to explore the broader Fediverse. POSTS & INTERACTIONS Like, Boost, Reply, and Bookmark in one tap. Quote Post support for rich commentary. Full Poll display and participation. Content Warnings — elegantly collapsed and expandable. Link preview cards for rich external content. System translation for posts in any language. MEDIA Image viewer with pinch-to-zoom, swipe to dismiss, and save to Photos. Inline video playback with fullscreen support. Smooth GIF and animated media rendering. Full custom emoji support for every server. SEARCH & DISCOVERY Search posts, users, and hashtags. Explore page with featured instances to discover new communities across the Fediverse. LISTS Create, edit, and delete custom lists. Manage list members with ease. Dedicated list timeline view. NOTIFICATIONS Real-time push notifications: follows, mentions, likes, boosts. Follow request management for private accounts. PROFILE View and edit avatar, display name, bio, and custom fields. Browse your own and others' posts, media, and replies. Follow / Unfollow with mutual follow indicator. MULTI-ACCOUNT Log into multiple accounts across different Mastodon instances. Seamlessly switch between accounts with fully isolated data. PHEME PRO — PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Subscribe to Pheme Pro to unlock the full Pheme experience: Custom Accent Colors: Full custom color picker. Custom Fonts: Set individual fonts for titles, body text, and monospace elements. Appearance Mode: Light, Dark, or System. Avatar Style: Circular or square. Compose & Post: Write and publish your thoughts to Mastodon. Full Interaction Access: Boost, quote, reply, like, bookmark, follow/unfollow. List Management: Create and manage custom lists. Plans: Weekly / Monthly / Yearly (best value). Subscriptions auto-renew 24 hours before expiry. Cancel anytime in App Store subscription settings. PRIVACY FIRST Pheme communicates directly with your chosen Mastodon instance — no third-party relay servers. Your credentials are stored securely in the device Keychain and never shared with third parties. Join the Fediverse. Start your decentralized social journey with Pheme. -- Subscription Details -- • Weekly, monthly and annual subscriptions are available • Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase • Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription • Subscriptions can be managed or cancelled by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pheme.pureding.org/privacy

About

Halflight Client

Features
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Halflight is a privacy-first photo-sharing client for Bluesky, Pixelfed and the broader fediverse. - Pixelfed photo feeds - Multi-account switcher - Mastodon list organizer - Threaded conversations - Direct messages - Stories support - Cross-server discovery - Bluesky Support - Zero analytics, ever

Screenshots

Pheme for Mastodon3 screens
Halflight Client4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Halflight Client at none against Pheme for Mastodon's 3. Halflight Client also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Pheme for Mastodon sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Halflight Client asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pheme for Mastodon ships an update every 4 days, Halflight Client weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Pheme for Mastodon versus Halflight Client: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPheme for MastodonHalflight Client
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB77 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developer恒敏 吴Boris Kourtoukov

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pheme for Mastodon

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$0.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$1.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan14 Days trial$5.991 Year
None

Halflight Client

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pheme for Mastodon free?
Pheme for Mastodon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Halflight Client free?
Halflight Client is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pheme for Mastodon or Halflight Client have ads?
Neither Pheme for Mastodon nor Halflight Client shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pheme for Mastodon or Halflight Client?
Pheme for Mastodon ships an update every 4 days, and Halflight Client weekly. Most recently, Pheme for Mastodon was updated on October 10, 2026 and Halflight Client on October 19, 2026.

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