Softwr

Dating · head to head

Mastodon vs OurTime

Mastodon logo

Mastodon

Dating

Social networking that's not for sale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OurTime logo

OurTime

Dating

Dating for 50+ singles

From
$15.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mastodon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mastodon no pricing model required; users host their own instances at infrastructure cost; OurTime seeing who liked you requires the Premium subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Mastodon covers Decentralization, OurTime covers Easy Interface.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mastodon and OurTime actually diverge.

Attributes where Mastodon and OurTime differ
AttributeMastodonOurTime
Starting priceFree$15.99/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20162011

Identical on both: platforms (Ios, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Dating).

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 Mastodon

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

Only in OurTime

  • Easy Interface
  • Flirts
  • ConnectMe Calls
  • Profile Boost
  • Daily Matches
  • I'm Interested

Both cover

  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mastodon

  • Decentralized social networkingnot OurTime
  • Community-owned discussion platformsnot OurTime
  • Privacy-focused communication infrastructurenot OurTime

OurTime

  • Dating for people over 50 looking for companionship or a relationshipnot Mastodon
  • Browsing and filtering local singles in the same life stagenot Mastodon
  • Getting curated daily match suggestionsnot Mastodon

Where each one falls short

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

Mastodon

  • No pricing model required; users host their own instances at infrastructure cost
  • Decentralized funding model relies on voluntary donations with no guaranteed revenue
  • Self-hosting requires technical expertise and operational overhead for smaller communities

OurTime

  • Seeing who liked you requires the Premium subscription
  • Read receipts on your messages are Premium only
  • Profile boosts and Super Likes are Premium only
  • The free tier is limited to building a profile, searching, Topics and curated daily matches
  • The iOS app requires iOS 16.0 or later

Pricing, plan by plan

Mastodon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Toots
    • Federation
    • Custom Instances

OurTime

$15.99/month
  • Standard$15.99/month
    • Messaging
    • See Who Viewed You
    • Search
  • Value$11.99/month
    • All Standard Features
    • Profile Highlighting

Which should you pick?

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

Choose OurTime if

  • You need easy interface.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want flirts.
OurTime review

Questions people ask

Is Mastodon or OurTime better?
Neither clearly leads. Mastodon starts at Free and OurTime at $15.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mastodon or OurTime?
Mastodon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mastodon and $15.99/month for OurTime.
Does Mastodon or OurTime run on more platforms?
Both run on Ios, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mastodon for free?
Yes. Mastodon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OurTime starts at $15.99/month.
What is Mastodon best used for?
Mastodon is most often used for decentralized social networking, community-owned discussion platforms, privacy-focused communication infrastructure. Of those, decentralized social networking and community-owned discussion platforms are not what OurTime is typically brought in for.
What can Mastodon do that OurTime cannot?
Mastodon covers Decentralization, Custom Servers, No Ads, Chronological Feed. OurTime covers Easy Interface, Flirts, ConnectMe Calls, Profile Boost. Both handle Ios support, Android support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mastodon: Does Mastodon charge any fees to join or use the platform?

No, Mastodon is free and open-source software developed by a non-profit organization. Users can join existing servers or host their own without software licensing fees.

Source
Mastodon: How is Mastodon development funded?

Mastodon is developed by a non-profit and accepts optional voluntary donations through Patreon and direct Stripe donations. These are presented as support contributions rather than required fees.

Source
Mastodon: What are typical costs for self-hosting a Mastodon instance?

Mastodon website does not publish hosting costs. Self-hosting requires paying for cloud infrastructure (VPS, storage, bandwidth) through providers like AWS, DigitalOcean, or Linode, with costs varying by instance size and user count.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Mastodon

More on OurTime

Keep looking

Other head to heads