Start with Tusky for a free Android option, Ice Cubes for an open-source Apple client, Ivory if a subscription fits your Apple workflow, or Phanpy for a browser interface. These are documented candidates, not winners from a hands-on benchmark. Your instance still holds your account; a client changes how you read and publish.
Choose an app
| App / platform | Price model | Open source | Verified features | Limit / evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tusky android | free | yes | lists (free); notifications (free); | Multi-account and scheduling controls have not been verified for this comparison. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
| Ice Cubes ios | free | yes | multi account (free); lists (free); filters (free); | No hands-on VoiceOver or scheduling test recorded. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
| Ice Cubes macos | free | yes | multi account (free); lists (free); filters (free); | No hands-on VoiceOver or scheduling test recorded. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
| Ivory ios | subscription | unknown | lists (subscription); filters (subscription); notifications (subscription); | Subscription after trial; open-source status and screen-reader operation not verified. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
| Ivory macos | subscription | unknown | lists (subscription); filters (subscription); notifications (subscription); | Subscription after trial; open-source status and screen-reader operation not verified. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
| Phanpy web | free | yes | multi account (free); notifications (free); columns (free); | Opinionated layout; some actions require opening a post. Documented; checked 2026-11-01. Maintenance: available. Other features: not verified. Distribution / support evidence |
Find apps for your requirements. The finder uses the same records as this table. Choose Browser / web explicitly if you want a browser option on Windows or Linux. It will say when a requirement has no verified match.
Android choices
Tusky
Tusky’s official site documents lists, notifications and drafts, with a GPL licence and free distribution. It is a useful starting point if those are your priorities. Its material-style interface offers light, dark and black themes. Official downloads and documentation. Multi-account, scheduling and TalkBack behaviour have not been verified in this comparison. A draft is not a scheduled server post.
iPhone and iPad choices
Ice Cubes
The official repository documents Apple platform support, lists, account switching and server-side filters. Those make it a candidate for keeping different reading contexts accessible. It is listed as free in the Mastodon app directory. No VoiceOver or publishing test has been recorded here; do not read the feature list as proof that your assistive-technology workflow works.
Ivory
Ivory documents list timelines, filters, notification controls and a subscription after a trial. Mac and iPad layouts offer columns; the phone layout should not be assumed identical. The finder conservatively leaves columns unverified across its broad iOS variant. A free trial does not qualify as a free-only recommendation. Check the current App Store terms for your device rather than treating a price in another currency as your price.
Desktop and browser choices
Phanpy
Phanpy’s repository documents multiple accounts, grouped notifications, a boosts carousel and configurable columns. This suits readers who want to distinguish original posts from boosts. Some actions are deliberately hidden until you open a post, so try that interaction before committing. Use the production Phanpy website; the development build may behave differently.
Ice Cubes and Ivory also have Mac variants. A native Linux client is not yet included in this verified catalogue. The official directory provides further candidates such as Tokodon; their detailed feature availability has not been checked here. Elk, Fedilab and Mona remain options to investigate there, rather than unverified entries in the matcher’s results.
The server’s own web interface is another starting point. Mastodon’s preferences guide documents advanced web-interface controls. Check your server’s version and settings before treating that layout as identical to a third-party client.
Compare features that affect daily use
Separate essential controls from preferences. Lists organise followed accounts; keyword filters hide or warn about content; notification settings determine interruptions. Multiple columns are a layout choice, not a guarantee of better discovery. The table lists only documented features; anything else is Not verified. Required features must also be available on a permitted price tier.
Before switching, save any local drafts and note client-specific settings. Follows and server-held content remain with your account, but local layouts, cached positions and drafts need not transfer. Revoke unused authorisations in your server settings once you are satisfied with the new client. Try reading a thread, describing an image, changing text size and recovering your place in a long timeline.
Maintenance and discontinued apps
Megalodon is no longer a current recommendation: its official repository is labelled abandoned and was archived on 30 May 2025. Hyperspace was archived on 17 June 2022. Both findings were rechecked on 1 November 2026. Existing installations may still open, but that does not establish current support.
For the catalogue, Available means an official distribution and support route was found, not that a future release is promised. Review support notices and platform requirements before authorising any client.
Publishing workflows
For a scheduled post, distinguish a server API capability from the button your particular client exposes. Compare scheduling options, including cross-network workflows, before paying for a reading app on the assumption that it manages a queue.
How recommendations were checked
Sources checked 1 November 2026. Documented means an official site, repository or directory supports the specific claim. Tested requires a recorded version, platform, date and task; no hands-on product tests are claimed here. Unknown features receive no matching points and fail a must-have. Affiliate configuration is separate from eligibility and scoring. The wider tools guide covers discovery, moderation and publishing beyond clients.