Comparison

TeaTime vs Pastel Journal

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

Head to head
About

TeaTime

Access America's top tea magazine on your iPad. Explore inspirational tea party menus, recipes, table-setting ideas, travel destinations, and traditions. Discover tea pairings, expert advice, and fascinating articles on global tea experiences.

Highlights
  • Inspirational tea party menus
  • Recipes and table-setting ideas
  • Tea-focused destinations and events
  • Tea traditions and expert advice
  • Tea pairings and global tea experiences
  • Digital magazine on iPad
Features
Read full description

TeaTime is America's #1 magazine for tea enthusiasts- and now you can enjoy every single page on the iPad! The magazine shares inspirational tea-party menus, recipes, and table-setting ideas, tea focused destinations and events, tea traditions and much more. Every issue of TeaTime magazine includes tea pairings and expert advice, ideas for creating beautiful tablescapes, and fascinating articles on tea experiences across the world! Download our Free App to get started! The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. This subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period, your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. The cost of the renewal will match the initial subscription price. Additional Subscription Information: • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: https://www.hoffmanmedia.com/privacy-policy/

About

Pastel Journal

This digital magazine caters to pastel artists, offering insights for professionals and hobbyists alike. Explore techniques and inspiration through single issues or an annual subscription.

Highlights
  • Coverage for working pastelists
  • Content for pastel hobbyists
  • Single issue purchases
  • Annual subscription option
  • Automatic renewal management
Features
Read full description

Pastel Journal Magazine covers topics of interest to working pastelists as well as those who work in pastel as an additional medium along with those who are just experimenting with the medium. By downloading Pastel Journal, you can either purchase single issues OR subscribe to the below offer(s): • Single issue: US$7.99 • 1 year subscription (6 issues per year): US$29.99, automatically renewed until cancelled When purchasing through iTunes your account will be charged at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will auto-renew unless you turn this off 24 hours before the subscription runs out. You can turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings. You can manage your subscription through your account settings after purchase on your device. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy Policy: https://goldenpeakmedia.com/privacy-statement-us Terms of Use: https://goldenpeakmedia.com/terms

Screenshots

TeaTime4 screens
Pastel Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pastel Journal at free with in-app purchases against TeaTime's subscription. Pastel Journal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). TeaTime's advantage is ratings volume (105 vs 8). 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. TeaTime sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pastel Journal sells 21 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pastel Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TeaTime has 105 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TeaTime ships an update every 4 months, Pastel Journal every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TeaTime versus Pastel Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTeaTimePastel Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (105 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings105 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHoffman Media LLCPEAK MEDIA PROPERTIES LLC

Customer experience

TeaTime

All ratings104 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral1.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive19.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative78.7%

Pastel Journal

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

TeaTime

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes
  • Cannot open issues
  • Unable to restore purchases
  • Subscription issues not loading
  • Login failures
Show 9 more
  • Lost purchased content
  • App updates cause issues
  • Error messages
  • Purchases not syncing
  • Website crashing
  • Special editions not available
  • Login credentials invalid
  • User not found errors
  • Issues not loading past a certain percentage

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow paper subscribers access to digital at no extra cost
  • Fix the app
  • Change app back to previous version
  • Fire person who updated app
  • Improve app functionality
Show 2 more
  • Restore lost issues
  • Make e-magazine available to paper subscribers

Pastel Journal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

17 purchases

TeaTime

Subscriptions5
  • 1 Month | TeaTime$1.991 Month
  • TeaTime$2.992 Months
  • 6 Months | TeaTime$10.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • 1 Year | TeaTime$17.991 Year
  • TeaTime$27.991 Year
One-time12
  • March/April 2013$3.99
  • January/February 2013$3.99
  • January/February 2014$3.99
Show 9 more
  • March/April 2016$4.99
  • November-December 2016$4.99
  • January-February 2017$4.99
  • March/April 2025 (pp:1059730)$4.99
  • September/Octo... (pp:1059746)$4.99
  • TeaTime Favorites 2013$7.99
  • French Teatime ... (pp:980384)$7.99
  • Teatime Holiday... (pp:981594)$7.99
  • Tea Holidays 2024 (pp:1059738)$7.99
21 purchases

Pastel Journal

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month | Pastel Journal$2.991 Month
  • 1 Year | Pastel Journal$24.991 Year
One-time19
  • November/December 2018 issue$7.99
  • 2019 July August$7.99
  • 2019 November December$7.99
Show 16 more
  • 2021 January February$7.99
  • Spring 2021$7.99
  • March/April 2019 issue$7.99
  • 2020 November December$7.99
  • Summer 2021$7.99
  • 2020 May June$7.99
  • Spring 2022$9.99
  • Summber 2022$9.99
  • Fall 2022$9.99
  • Winter 2023$9.99
  • Winter 2027$9.99
  • Spring 2026$9.99
  • Spring 2023$10.99
  • Summer 2023$10.99
  • Winter 2024$10.99
  • Fall 2023$10.99

Questions

Is TeaTime free?
TeaTime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pastel Journal free?
Pastel Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TeaTime or Pastel Journal?
Pastel Journal is rated higher. TeaTime averages 4.6 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while Pastel Journal averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do TeaTime or Pastel Journal have ads?
Neither TeaTime nor Pastel Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TeaTime or Pastel Journal?
TeaTime ships an update every 4 months, and Pastel Journal every 6 months. Most recently, TeaTime was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pastel Journal on October 24, 2026.

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