For the uninitiated, App.net is an ad-free, subscription-based service that is being used for not only Twitter-like conversations, but private messaging, file storage, sharing, and more.

If that sounds a little scattered, it is, because App.net is more than just a social network — it's a family of APIs that can power all sorts of individual, discrete services, all with a single login. As such, there are several great App.net apps out there.

(If you aren't a member of App.net, here's an invite.)

• Whisper and Riposte are made by the same guys, and overlap in functionality a little bit. Both of these are on my homescreen.

  Riposte is an excellent Twitter-like client that supports multiple accounts and is super fast. While Riposte supports private messages, Whisper is dedicated to it. App.net supports multi-user private messaging, which is great for keeping up with a group. While at WWDC last week, several of my friends and I lived in Whisper.

  Both Riposte and Whisper are free, with $4.99 in-app purchases to add additional typeface choices, auto dark and light mode depending on time of day, and even a gesture to adjust the screen brightness quickly.

• Felix for iPhone is $1.99, and offers a less-traditional interface than Riposte. However, it too is amazing to look at.

  The interface runs (by default, at least, on the iPhone) in full-screen mode, with a single button hiding all the controls. This puts content first, and really is nice for reading. With things like TextExpander support, Felix is super fast for posting, too.

  The iPad version of Felix is $4.99. They aren't many options when it comes to iPad clients, and this one is definitely the best out there right now.

• Kiwi is my go-to App.net client for the Mac. With features like Twitter crossposting, a unified timeline and more, it makes App.net really feel like Twitter, and in a good way. At $10, it's the most expensive App.net client I'm using, but it's worth it if you are on your Mac all day.

• Orbit and Swing are both Mac apps, but not traditional clients like the apps listed above. App.net accounts come with online storage, and these programs can be used to upload and share using that storage — not unlike Droplr or CloudApp.

  Swing gets my vote, but both are good. If you want something even more powerful, FileBase is currently in beta, but allows you to see all of your files on App.net servers.

While these apps are all pretty great, App.net keeps a whole directory of apps updated on its site. If you're trying out and switching between several App.net clients on your phone, be sure to check out App.net Passport, which makes signing in and authenticating your App.net apps a breeze.