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Dating & Social · head to head

BeReal vs Mastodon

BeReal logo

BeReal

Dating & Social

Your friends for real

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mastodon logo

Mastodon

Dating & Social

Social networking that's not for sale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BeReal app is free to download with no paid tier disclosed in its App Store listing; Mastodon the App Store listing (publisher Mastodon gGmbH) states the official app is free with no subscription tier; as a federated non-profit network there is no vendor-hosted enterprise plan or SLA available to purchase.
  • They diverge on capability: BeReal covers Daily Photo Prompt, Mastodon covers Decentralization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BeReal and Mastodon actually diverge.

Attributes where BeReal and Mastodon differ
AttributeBeRealMastodon
PlatformsIos, AndroidIos, Android, Web
Founded20202016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Dating & Social).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BeReal

  • Daily Photo Prompt
  • Dual Camera Capture
  • RealMojis
  • Discovery Tab
  • Memories
  • Late Posts Tracking

Only in Mastodon

  • Decentralization
  • Custom Servers
  • No Ads
  • Chronological Feed
  • Content Warnings
  • Federation
  • ActivityPub
  • Fediverse

Both cover

  • Ios support
  • Android support

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BeReal

  • App is free to download with no paid tier disclosed in its App Store listing

Mastodon

  • The App Store listing (publisher Mastodon gGmbH) states the official app is free with no subscription tier; as a federated non-profit network there is no vendor-hosted enterprise plan or SLA available to purchase.

Pricing, plan by plan

BeReal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily BeReal
    • RealMojis
    • Friends Feed

Mastodon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Toots
    • Federation
    • Custom Instances

Which should you pick?

Choose BeReal if

  • You need daily photo prompt.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want dual camera capture.
BeReal review

Choose Mastodon if

  • You need decentralization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want custom servers.
Mastodon review

Questions people ask

Is BeReal or Mastodon better?
Neither clearly leads. BeReal starts at Free and Mastodon at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BeReal or Mastodon?
BeReal starts at Free and Mastodon at Free.
Does BeReal or Mastodon run on more platforms?
BeReal runs on Ios, Android. Mastodon runs on Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use BeReal for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can BeReal do that Mastodon cannot?
BeReal covers Daily Photo Prompt, Dual Camera Capture, RealMojis, Discovery Tab. Mastodon covers Decentralization, Custom Servers, No Ads, Chronological Feed. Both handle Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

More on BeReal

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