Alternatives to Whalebird

A single-column desktop client for Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica and other fediverse accounts. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Whalebird.

  • Tokodon

    KDE's client for Mastodon and other fediverse servers, for Linux and Windows.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Tokodon is KDE's native client for Linux and Windows with options to hide boosts and replies, but it has no macOS build and focuses on Mastodon-compatible servers.

  • Tuba

    A GTK desktop client for browsing and posting on Mastodon and the wider fediverse.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinuxAndroid

    Tuba is a GTK client for Linux, Windows and Android with scheduled posts, polls and admin tools, and it drops macOS support.

  • Elk

    A lightweight open-source web client for Mastodon that runs in the browser.

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

    Elk runs in any modern browser as an open-source Mastodon interface, replacing a desktop app with a web client focused on Mastodon accounts.

  • Phanpy

    A minimalistic, opinionated web client for reading and posting on Mastodon from a browser.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Phanpy is a minimal, opinionated web client for Mastodon that runs in the browser rather than as a native desktop app.

  • Ice Cubes

    An open-source Mastodon client for iPhone, iPad and Mac, written in SwiftUI.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSiOS

    Ice Cubes is a native SwiftUI Mastodon client for Mac, iPhone and iPad, adding mobile apps but dropping Windows and Linux.

  • Ivory

    A Mastodon client for iPhone, iPad and Mac from the makers of Tweetbot.

    PaidProprietarymacOSiOS

    Ivory is a closed-source Mastodon app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with synced timeline position, and it is paid after the trial.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Whalebird as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Raccoon for Friendica

    An open source Kotlin Multiplatform client for Friendica and Mastodon accounts.

    FreeOpen sourceAndroidiOS

    Whalebird is an open-source desktop client for Windows, macOS and Linux supporting Friendica, Mastodon and others, with no mobile version and a single-column layout.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.