It’s been almost three months since I started using Mastodon, the open-source decentralized social media network many Twitter users turned to after Twitter’s change of ownership in October 2022.
Last time I wrote about Mastodon was to share my first thoughts on using it and five things I learned about Mastodon.
In the months since, I’ve tried multiple Mastodon clients and apps. I’ve settled on the free Tusky Android app for mobile.
And was happy to use Pinafore, the free web-based client focused on performance, usability, and accessibility.
Sadly, Nolan Lawson announced Pinafore was retired in early January 2023. Which set me off in search of a replacement.
I discovered two new free web-based clients I started testing this week. Read on to learn more about the two clients.
Semaphore
An accessible, simple, fast, and free web client for Mastodon, Semaphore continues the work of the Pinafore project.
Semaphore is developed by Nick Colley and offers a user guide for basic knowledge as well as an admin guide for instance administrators.
Released three days ago, version Semaphore 1.0.0 has a similar appearance to Pinafore.
You’ll find the same features in Semaphore that were in Pinafore.
The only difference I noticed is the purple branding color. From reading version 1.0.0 release notes, I learned edited toots are now labelled with “edited.”
Mastodeck
Currently in beta, Mastodeck has the look and feel of Tweetdeck for Twitter, with multiple columns you can add to the interface to track your favorite hashtags.
What makes it different from the native Mastodon web client “Advanced” interface?
You’ll find Mastodeck has more options, including customization and multiple account support.
Even though it’s in beta, I haven’t encountered any crashes.
Yet.
But I’ve only used it for a few days.
A few things to note, as of January 25, 2023, you can’t:
- Post images or multimedia
- View poll options (they only display as post text, with no options for voting)
Check the Mastodeck changelog for current status and updates.
Summary
Both Semaphore and Mastodeck are free web-based clients for Mastodon. Both offer a slew of features and a wide range of settings.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you may find one works better than the other.
I’m using both now, along with the native Mastodon web client.
Overall I prefer Semaphore for its interface and simplicity, but the other clients offer features (multiple column support for hashtags, etc.) that I miss in Semaphore.
Have you tried either Semaphore or Mastodeck? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Well, that was a bolt from the blue. I did not know that Pinafore was being retired – I, for one, am continuing to use it. I guess at some point it might become unusable but right now – and if I read the blog post correctly, for some time to come – I’ll continue using it because it remains excellent in many of the ways that matter to me. I even recommended it to a new user just the other day, and they love it, too.
Hi Ricky,
Thanks for your comment.
I don’t think you’re alone about not knowing about Pinafore’s retirement. I was so happy to find it a few months ago. For me, it’s a usable and attractive client for Mastodon.
Not sure if you’ve already looked at Semaphore, but it has the same interface and features as Pinafore, with a purple branding.