App.net vs Mastodon

Struggling to choose between App.net and Mastodon? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

App.net is a Social & Communications solution with tags like microblogging, social-networking, subscription, adfree.

It boasts features such as Chronological timeline, 500 character limit per post, Ability to follow users and topics, Photo sharing, Private messaging and pros including Ad-free experience, More control over data and privacy, Higher quality content, Less noise than free platforms.

On the other hand, Mastodon is a Social & Communications product tagged with opensource, decentralized, social-media, twitter-alternative.

Its standout features include Decentralized social network - no single company/server owns the network, Open source codebase allows anyone to run a server, Federated timeline shows posts from all servers you follow, Granular privacy controls for posts - public, followers-only, etc, Media attachments like images and videos, Short post limit compared to other platforms, Chronological timeline with no algorithmic sorting, and it shines with pros like Avoids censorship and data mining risks of centralized platforms, User-run servers can have customized rules and moderation, Not dependent on decisions or business model of a single company, Can follow users on different servers within the network.

Feature	App.net	Mastodon
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Social & Communications	Social & Communications

Product Overview

App.net

Description: App.net was a microblogging and social networking service created in 2012 that focused on providing a simple, chronological feed. It charged a monthly subscription fee and positioned itself as an alternative to free services like Twitter by offering an ad-free experience focused more on the user experience than advertising revenue.

Mastodon

Description: Mastodon is an open-source, decentralized social media platform similar to Twitter. It allows users to post 'toots' of up to 500 characters to followers within a federated network of independently operated servers.

Key Features Comparison

App.net Features

• Chronological timeline
• 500 character limit per post
• Ability to follow users and topics
• Photo sharing
• Private messaging

Mastodon Features

• Decentralized social network - no single company/server owns the network
• Open source codebase allows anyone to run a server
• Federated timeline shows posts from all servers you follow
• Granular privacy controls for posts - public, followers-only, etc
• Media attachments like images and videos
• Short post limit compared to other platforms
• Chronological timeline with no algorithmic sorting

Pros & Cons Analysis

App.net

Pros

• Ad-free experience
• More control over data and privacy
• Higher quality content
• Less noise than free platforms

Cons

• Monthly subscription fee
• Smaller user base than free platforms
• Limited growth and adoption
• Shut down in 2017

Mastodon

Pros

• Avoids censorship and data mining risks of centralized platforms
• User-run servers can have customized rules and moderation
• Not dependent on decisions or business model of a single company
• Can follow users on different servers within the network

Cons

• Smaller user base than mainstream platforms
• Fewer features and less polish than commercial products
• Reliant on volunteer-run servers which can go down
• Abusive/toxic content may be present on some servers

Pricing Comparison

App.net

• Subscription-Based

Mastodon

• Open Source