Verified against GitHub/Codeberg/Gitea repo APIs and LICENSE files, project READMEs (2026-10-15); app-store listings not checked on 2026-10-15.
Client Apps
Third-party apps for accessing Fediverse platforms. Licenses and status are from each project's repository (October 2026); closed-source apps are listed without a repository check.
Mobile Apps
iOS
| App | Platforms | Features | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory | Mastodon | Polished, paid | Proprietary |
| Ice Cubes | Mastodon | Open source, free | AGPL-3.0 |
| Mona | Mastodon | Feature-rich | Proprietary |
| Toot! | Mastodon | Playful design | Proprietary |
| Tusker | Mastodon | Native iOS (source) | Open source |
Android
| App | Platforms | Features | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tusky | Mastodon | Mature (source, moved to Codeberg) | GPL-3.0 |
| Fedilab | Multi | Many platforms (source) | GPL-3.0 |
| Moshidon | Mastodon | Fork of Megalodon (itself a fork of the official app, now archived); last release June 2025 | GPL-3.0 |
| Jerboa | Lemmy | By the Lemmy project | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pixelfed | Pixelfed | Official app (iOS and Android) | AGPL-3.0 |
Cross-Platform
| App | Platforms | Features | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Mastodon | Web/PWA | MIT |
| Phanpy | Mastodon | Minimalist web | MIT |
| Voyager | Lemmy | iOS/Android/web | AGPL-3.0 |
Desktop Apps
Native
| App | OS | Platform | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whalebird | Win/Mac/Linux | Mastodon | GPL-3.0 |
| Sengi | Win/Mac/Linux | Mastodon | AGPL-3.0 |
Web Clients
| Client | Platform | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | Mastodon | Modern web client |
| Phanpy | Mastodon | Minimalist |
| Photon | Lemmy | Modern UI (AGPL-3.0) |
Platform-Specific
Mastodon
Most apps use the Mastodon API:
- Official web interface
- Third-party clients listed above
- PWA support in official web
Lemmy
- Voyager (iOS/Android/web)
- Jerboa (Android) - by the Lemmy project
- Photon (web)
Pixelfed
- Official web interface
- Official Pixelfed app for iOS and Android
- Pixelfed implements the Mastodon client API, so many Mastodon clients work
PeerTube
- Official web interface
- NewPipe (Android) - supports PeerTube alongside other services
- The dedicated Thorium client (sschueller/peertube-android) is archived
Developing a Client
API Compatibility
Many clients target the Mastodon API:
GET /api/v1/accounts/:id
GET /api/v1/timelines/home
POST /api/v1/statuses
Authentication
OAuth 2.0 flow:
1. Register app → client_id, client_secret
2. User authorizes → authorization code
3. Exchange code → access token
4. Use token for API calls
ActivityPub C2S
Some platforms support C2S (Client-to-Server):
POST /users/alice/outbox
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/activity+json
{
"type": "Create",
"object": {
"type": "Note",
"content": "Hello!"
}
}
Mastodon, Misskey and GoToSocial do not implement C2S. Pleroma has partial support; its fork Akkoma has disabled the C2S write endpoints. See Client-to-Server for the spec and the SocialCG's work on a C2S profile.
Choosing a Client
For Mastodon Users
| Need | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| iOS, polished | Ivory, Ice Cubes |
| Android, mature | Tusky |
| Desktop | Whalebird, Elk |
| Web | Elk, Phanpy |
For Lemmy Users
| Need | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| iOS | Voyager |
| Android | Voyager, Jerboa |
| Web | Photon |