Comparison

HOTO vs Tesseract

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

Head to head
About

HOTO

Connects to a smart laser rangefinder to manage device settings, control functions, and update firmware. It allows for data recording and measurement drawing.

Highlights
  • Device pairing
  • Device control
  • Firmware updates
  • Data recording
  • Measurement drawing
Read full description

可以连接小猴智能激光测距仪Pro,提供设备配网、设备控制、固件升级、数据记录,绘制测量

About

Tesseract

This app offers a unique emotional journaling experience inspired by interstellar travel. It allows users to record memories in an immersive 3D interface, transforming diary entries into cosmic coordinates. Features include voice dictation, AI prompts, and secure iCloud syncing.

Highlights
  • Immersive 3D Tesseract interface
  • Voice dictation journaling
  • AI-powered journaling prompts
  • Aesthetic writing with animations
  • Secure iCloud sync
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Keep your days in a photo diary that brings memories to life. Tesseract gives your words and photos a universe of starlight, rain, and black holes. Write a little today, then return to the moments you want to remember. ◆ A space to revisit your memories Motion and depth bring the atmosphere of each entry back to life. Browse your diary horizontally, vertically, or in a grid. ◆ Words and photos that come alive Eleven visual themes inspired by starlight, rain, wormholes, and black holes add motion and depth to your words and photos. Adjust effect intensity and photo placement in supported themes to create your own atmosphere. ◆ Your day in words and photos Write a quick thought or a longer entry, at your own pace. Add photos to hold on to the moments words alone can’t capture. ◆ Revisit past entries Find any memory quickly with the calendar and search. The On This Day widget brings one past entry back to your Home Screen. ◆ Journaling Suggestions to help you begin On iPhone, bring photos, reflection prompts, and places into an entry from Apple’s Journaling Suggestions. Save text you use often as templates to make your next entry easier to begin. ◆ Personal by choice Start without an account. New entries are stored on your device. Lock individual entries with Face ID or Touch ID. With Pro, choose whether to enable iCloud sync. ◆ Tesseract Pro Use every visual theme, create custom folders, and add up to ten photos to each entry. With iCloud sync enabled, continue your diary across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Key features - Eleven visual themes, including free and Pro themes - Spatial presentation for words and photos - Two photos per entry, or up to ten with Pro - Horizontal, vertical, and grid layouts - Calendar and search - Diary templates and writing reminders - On This Day Home Screen widget - Face ID or Touch ID lock for individual entries - Real-time voice dictation on supported devices - Markdown text import and export - Custom folders and optional iCloud sync with Pro An ordinary day can become a scene you will want to revisit. Keep today’s memory in your own universe with Tesseract. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

HOTO4 screens
Tesseract4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tesseract at 78% against HOTO's 24%. Tesseract also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 20 months). HOTO's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Tesseract sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. HOTO asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tesseract holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tesseract has 110 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of HOTO's written reviews are positive against 78% of Tesseract's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HOTO ships an update every 20 months, Tesseract fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
HOTO versus Tesseract: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHOTOTesseract
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.2 (10 ratings)4.5 (110 ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.5% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10110 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size190 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShanghai HOTO Technology Co., Ltd.Goateraction

Customer experience

HOTO

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive23.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative76.5%

Tesseract

All ratings110 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative16.0%

Bugs and requests

HOTO

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Tesseract

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Data deletion after app updates
  • Journal entries disappearing after switching apps
  • Edit button causing app crashes
  • Photos disappearing when adding new ones
  • Photos disappearing after editing entries
Show 7 more
  • iCloud sync not working between iPhone and iPad
  • Bluetooth keyboard Enter key not functioning
  • App freezing and lagging
  • Text alignment issues in display view
  • Paragraph spacing issues in display view
  • Premium features not working after subscription
  • App crashes on edit button press

Requested features

16 requests
  • Customizable theme colors and backgrounds
  • Additional font options (especially for Chinese)
  • PDF export functionality
  • iCloud sync support
  • Auto-save functionality
Show 11 more
  • Photo position/placement control
  • Galaxy map/note clustering visualization
  • Auto-scroll features
  • Pin/favorite entries functionality
  • Search functionality
  • Weather integration
  • Image filters
  • macOS version
  • Customizable line spacing
  • Live photo support
  • Adjustable text size for long entries

In-app purchases

None

HOTO

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Tesseract

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$12.99

Questions

Is HOTO free?
HOTO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tesseract free?
Tesseract is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HOTO or Tesseract?
Tesseract is rated higher. HOTO averages 2.2 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Tesseract averages 4.5 from 110 ratings.
Do HOTO or Tesseract have ads?
Neither HOTO nor Tesseract shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HOTO or Tesseract?
HOTO ships an update every 20 months, and Tesseract fortnightly. Most recently, HOTO was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tesseract on October 24, 2026.

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