# Phistory vs PhotoRiver

The clearest difference is update cadence: Phistory at every 2 months against PhotoRiver's every 5 months. Phistory also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (9.2 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phistory sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PhotoRiver sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Phistory ships an update every 2 months, PhotoRiver every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phistory | PhotoRiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photoriver/id6739061946/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 14 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.2** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuichiro Hirota](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033190477) | [Naihe Hu](https://appshunter.io/developer/564180065) |

## What reviewers say

### Phistory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phistory/id1100707401)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all prime functions | $1.99 | one-time |


### PhotoRiver

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photoriver/id6739061946)

Organize and display your photos with a professional management tool. Browse images in river or grid modes, manage albums, and create life diaries with customizable templates. Perfect for preserving your memories.

**Highlights:** River and grid photo display, System and custom album management, Photo and text life diaries, Multiple photo wall templates, Smooth photo browsing experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Purchase | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phistory free?

Phistory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PhotoRiver free?

PhotoRiver is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Phistory or PhotoRiver have ads?

Neither Phistory nor PhotoRiver shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phistory or PhotoRiver?

Phistory ships an update every 2 months, and PhotoRiver every 5 months. Most recently, Phistory was updated on October 8, 2026 and PhotoRiver on October 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*