Mastodon vs App.net

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

Mastodon is a Social & Communications solution with tags like opensource, decentralized, social-media, twitter-alternative.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, App.net is a Social & Communications product tagged with microblogging, social-networking, subscription, adfree.

Its standout features include Chronological timeline, 500 character limit per post, Ability to follow users and topics, Photo sharing, Private messaging, and it shines with pros like Ad-free experience, More control over data and privacy, Higher quality content, Less noise than free platforms.

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

Product Overview

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.

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.

Key Features Comparison

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

App.net Features

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

Pros & Cons Analysis

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

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

Pricing Comparison

Mastodon

• Open Source

App.net

• Subscription-Based