twittelator

6 Titans Put to the Test

OVERVIEW: Comparison of 6 of the top Twitter apps for the iPhone. Echofon, Tweetdeck, Tweetie, Twitteriffic, Twittelator, and Hootsuite.

There are tons of Twitter applications for the iPhone. I took a look at 6 of the most popular ones to see which one is the true champion.

Here are the Twitter apps that I tested:

• Echofon
• Hootsuite
• Twitteriffic
• Tweetdeck
• Tweetie
• Twittelator

How I Tested

I installed all of the applications below on my iPhone and used them fairly heavily. Over the course of two weeks, I used one application as my only Twitter interaction for two straight days. I tried to test every situation that I could think of to see how well each application worked. I also took detailed notes on things that caught my eye as good, bad, or weird as they occurred.

Disclaimer: I have been using Twitteriffic Premium for several months and LOVE it. I think that my work on this blog demonstrates my passion for free software. So if my cheap ass springs for the most expensive app on the list, you should take note.

Echofon (formerly Twitterfon)

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / $4.99 premium

Echofon used to be called Twitterfon until Twitter’s copy write lawyers got involved. I tested the free, ad supported version of this client. I generally liked everything I saw. Reading, retweeting, creating of tweets all was very nice. Everything functioned exactly as I thought it should. If I had not already bought two of the premium apps on this list, I would definitely consider Echofon. iPhone App Store

Pros: “Nearby Tweets Map” is awesome! Instapaper Support. Smooth interface.

Cons: 5 bucks is a lot to get rid of a few ads.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

HootSuite lite & HootSuite

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / $1.99 premium

I like Hootsuite. I think it’s more for the SEO social networking power geek than the average user. It feels slightly less smooth than Twitteriffic or Tweetie, but it could be good for some people.

iPhone App Store

Pros: You can post to multiple accounts at once. You can schedule tweets.

Cons: Can’t sort tweets from oldest to newest.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

TweetDeck

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / No premium version

If you want to keep track of your Facebook and Twitter presence from the same app, than this is the one for you. I don’t love the interface. It seems like you’re always clicking left, scrolling down, swiping right, etc. It’s all over the place.

Download from App Store

Pros: Facebook support, there are cool little shortcut keys to insert # and @ into your tweets.

Cons: Busy, clunky interface, no oldest to newest sort.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Tweetie 2

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / $3.99 premium

Tweetie 2 is constantly labeled as the “best twitter app for the iPhone”. Well, I’m just not sure at all. I constantly felt like I was clicking all over the place to get things done. I just doesn’t feel quite as smooth as I liked.

Download from the app store

Pros: I love the “Nearby Tweets Map” in the Search view. Landscape Scrolling. Draft Saving. I also like that there is support for Instapaper.

Cons: No free version. If feels like there are too many “keystrokes” required for certain functions. Draft saving.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Twittelator & Twittelator Pro

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / $4.99 premium

I wanted to love this one so badly. Mostly for the cool egg logo. Sadly, I’m just not that into it. When you see a tweet that you like which has a link in it, guess what? You can’t open the link! Done! not even close to good enough.

Pros: Cool nearby tweets map view.

Cons: You can’t open links in a browser.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Twitteriffic & Twitteriffic Premium

Price: Free (Ad Supported) / $4.99 premium

This is my absolute favorite of the whole bunch. I love how solid the interface is. Love how you can save tweeted web pages with Instapaper for later reading. Yes, it’s tied for the most expensive app in roundup, but if you use Twitter a lot, it is worth every penny.

Pros: Very smooth, clean interface. Everything works just like you expect it to.

Cons: No Nearby Tweets map feature

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

iPhone Twitter Application Feature Comparison

The following table breaks down some of the main features for all of the contestants.

Which Twitter Client Do You Use?

Show some support for your favorite Twitter App in the survey below.

As always, please leave your thoughts, questions, or feedback in the Comments section. Also, if you use a great Twitter app that is not listed here or is on a phone other than the iPhone, let’s hear about it.