# Time Caps vs Fresh Diary

The clearest difference is update cadence: Fresh Diary at every 6 days against Time Caps's every 6 weeks. Fresh Diary also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 84%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Time Caps's advantage is ratings volume (153 vs 30). 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 Fresh Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 Fresh Diary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Time Caps has 153 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Time Caps's written reviews are positive against 100% of Fresh Diary's.

Time Caps ships an update every 6 weeks, Fresh Diary every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Time Caps | Fresh Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-caps-a-future-diary/id1195852313/reviews) | **[4.9 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fresh-diary-pure-diarynotes/id6443731752/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **153** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [灿海 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1068107051) | [峰峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648860305) |

## 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


### Fresh Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fresh-diary-pure-diarynotes/id6443731752)

A minimalist and private journaling app with a powerful rich text editor. Track your moods, visualize your entries on a map, and set yearly goals. Securely sync across devices and export your memories.

**Highlights:** Rich text editor, Diary footprints on map, Mood statistics, Calendar view, Year goals, Cloud synchronization, Bulk export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月度会员 | $0.99 | per month |
| 年度会员 | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Membership | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Time Caps free?

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

### Is Fresh Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Time Caps or Fresh Diary?

Fresh Diary is rated higher. Time Caps averages 4.8 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while Fresh Diary averages 4.9 from 30 ratings.

### Do Time Caps or Fresh Diary have ads?

Neither Time Caps nor Fresh Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Time Caps or Fresh Diary?

Time Caps ships an update every 6 weeks, and Fresh Diary every 6 days. Most recently, Time Caps was updated on October 14, 2026 and Fresh Diary on October 17, 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.*