Comparison

PenPal Letters vs passNote

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PenPal Letters

Connect with people globally by anonymously sharing your daily experiences through digital postcards. Discover and follow others who resonate with your posts, fostering new friendships and a sense of community without fear of judgment.

Highlights
  • Write daily postcards
  • Read others' postcards
  • Anonymous sharing
  • Follow users
  • Exchange postcards
  • Make global friends
Features
Read full description

Write to a stranger. Wait for a reply. Remember the feeling of checking the mailbox, hoping for a letter? DearStranger brings that back — real correspondence with a pen pal somewhere in the world, at the unhurried pace real mail actually moves. Write a full letter when you have something to say, or send a quick postcard when you just want to say hello. Every letter takes real time to arrive — just like the mail always has — so opening your mailbox actually means something again. What you can do: Write and receive full letters with a pen pal matched just for you Send quick, lighter postcards for a simple hello Build an ongoing correspondence at your own pace Save your favorite letters to look back on Block or report anyone, anytime — your comfort comes first No feeds to scroll. No likes to chase. Just one person, writing back, when they're ready — and you, doing the same. Someone's waiting to write you. Download DearStranger and find out who.

About

passNote

Features
Read full description

Exchange diaries are a traditional form of communication in Japan, where people share their daily experiences and thoughts through a notebook. Even today, they remain popular among young people, offering a slower and more meaningful alternative to social media and instant messaging. With this app, you can easily experience the charm of exchange diaries on your smartphone. Share your daily life, hobbies, and thoughts while getting to know someone little by little. Unlike short messages, exchange diaries help build deeper connections. By taking time to write and respond, you can learn about each other's values and perspectives and develop lasting relationships. You can also connect with people from around the world. Discover real daily life, culture, school, work, and traditions that cannot be fully understood through travel or social media alone. Exchange diaries are also a great way to learn languages. Built-in translation helps you communicate with confidence while naturally learning real expressions used by native speakers. Why not start a special exchange diary with someone, somewhere in the world?

Screenshots

PenPal Letters3 screens
passNote3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PenPal Letters at 15.0 against passNote's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PenPal Letters ships an update every 9 days, passNote every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
PenPal Letters versus passNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPenPal LetterspassNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (140 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings140 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB80 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDinu DevarajanRyota Izumi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PenPal Letters

One-time3
  • 100 Coins$2.99
  • 250 Coins$4.99
  • 500 Coins$9.99
1 purchases

passNote

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Membership$2.991 Month

Questions

Is PenPal Letters free?
PenPal Letters is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is passNote free?
passNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PenPal Letters or passNote have ads?
Neither PenPal Letters nor passNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PenPal Letters or passNote?
PenPal Letters ships an update every 9 days, and passNote every 5 days. Most recently, PenPal Letters was updated on October 25, 2026 and passNote on October 28, 2026.

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