# Minds.com vs Mastodon

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mastodon at none against Minds.com's 8. Mastodon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (13K vs 1.6K). Minds.com's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Minds.com sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Mastodon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mastodon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastodon has 13K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Minds.com'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.

Minds.com ships an update every 5 weeks, Mastodon monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minds.com | Mastodon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindscom/id961771928/reviews) | **[4.5 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastodon/id1571998974/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.8% of reviews** | 48.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 36 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MINDS.ORG, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/961771927) | [Mastodon GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571998976) |

## What reviewers say

### Minds.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindscom/id961771928)

An open-source social network focused on internet freedom, privacy, and free speech. Users can earn crypto rewards and have control over their social media experience. The platform prioritizes transparency and community governance.

**Highlights:** Open source platform, Free speech focus, Privacy protection, Earn crypto rewards, Community governance, Transparent algorithms

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Daily Test Subscription | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Plus Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly Subscription | $69.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly Subscription | $129.99 | per year |
| Boost.Consumable $1 | $1.00 | one-time |
| Boost.Consumable $10 | $10.00 | one-time |
| Boost.Consumable $30 | $30.00 | one-time |
| Boost.Consumable $300 | $300.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 🔒 Uncensored platform
- 💰 Ability to earn crypto
- 🗣️ Supports free speech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🤔 Confusing interface
- 🤷‍♂️ Limited user base
- 🤖 Presence of bots/trolls

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Inconsistent video playback
- Posting/commenting problems

**Requested features**

- Improved search and discovery
- Better content organization
- Integration with other platforms
- Enhanced moderation tools


### 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 Minds.com free?

Minds.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mastodon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Minds.com or Mastodon?

Mastodon is rated higher. Minds.com averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Mastodon averages 4.5 from 13K ratings.

### Do Minds.com or Mastodon have ads?

Minds.com shows ads; Mastodon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Minds.com or Mastodon?

Minds.com ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mastodon monthly. Most recently, Minds.com was updated on October 12, 2026 and Mastodon on October 13, 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.*