# Time Caps vs Hearty Journal

The clearest difference is update cadence: Time Caps at every 6 weeks against Hearty Journal's every 3 months. Time Caps also leads on ratings volume (153 vs 40). Hearty Journal's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 84%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Time Caps sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Hearty Journal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Time Caps against 4.9 for Hearty Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 153 and 40 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Time Caps's written reviews are positive against 92% of Hearty Journal's.

Time Caps ships an update every 6 weeks, Hearty Journal every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Time Caps | Hearty Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-caps-a-future-diary/id1195852313/reviews) | **[4.9 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearty-journal-diary-notes/id1423459636/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **153** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **92.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [灿海 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1068107051) | [Hearty Creative Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423459635) |

## What reviewers say

### Time Caps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-caps-a-future-diary/id1195852313)

This app allows users to create a digital diary with various types of entries, including daily reflections, future messages, and voice notes. It offers features like mood-based coloring, serendipitous retrieval of past entries, and secure privacy protection. Users can also subscribe for enhanced functionalities and premium features.

**Highlights:** Daily mood-based journal entries, Write messages to your future self, Record voice notes for the future, Serendipitous retrieval of past entries, Secure passcode and biometric lock, Daily reminders and widgets, Offline functionality

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time Traveler Pro (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Time Traveler Pro (Yearly) | $24.99 | per year |
| 1200 Cap Pieces | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2888 Cap Pieces | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3600 Cap Pieces | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Cap Pieces | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Unique concept of time capsules
- 👍 Easy and simple to use
- 💖 Encourages journaling habit
- 😊 Calming and beautiful design
- ✨ Helps self-reflection and growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 In-app purchases for features
- 💸 High cost for capsules/features
- 🔒 Password lock feature requires subscription
- 📈 Difficulty in exporting data
- 😔 Word cap can be restrictive

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Interface issues with updates
- 🐛 Face ID issues reported

**Requested features**

- Ability to export previous posts
- Lower gem prices for capsules
- More options for describing the day
- Add template feature
- Support dark mode


### Hearty Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearty-journal-diary-notes/id1423459636)

Capture and preserve precious memories through diary writing. Personalize entries with text, stickers, photos, and a variety of fonts. Securely back up your journal across devices with cloud synchronization.

**Highlights:** Ad-free writing experience, Cross-platform journaling, 4-digit passcode security, Cloud backup and sync, Export posts as PNG or text, Customizable book and post titles, Over 1,000 stickers and 20+ fonts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 溫度日記 VIP版 | $4.49 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Time Caps free?

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

### Is Hearty Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Time Caps or Hearty Journal?

Hearty Journal is rated higher. Time Caps averages 4.8 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while Hearty Journal averages 4.9 from 40 ratings.

### Do Time Caps or Hearty Journal have ads?

Neither Time Caps nor Hearty Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Time Caps or Hearty Journal?

Time Caps ships an update every 6 weeks, and Hearty Journal every 3 months. Most recently, Time Caps was updated on September 26, 2026 and Hearty Journal on August 14, 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.*