Comparison

Tesseract vs KeepSmilin'

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

Head to head
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/

About

KeepSmilin'

Read full description

When you smile, even briefly, your brain releases a powerful cocktail of feel-good chemicals. The "Many Smiles Collaboration," a comprehensive 2022 study published in Nature Human Behaviour, confirmed that adopting a smile—even a forced one—genuinely makes you feel happier. Those 5-second smiles trigger the release of: Dopamine: Your brain's reward chemical Serotonin: Your natural mood stabilizer Endorphins: Your body's pain-relieving compounds Together, these create an instant mood boost that can be measured in brain activity. Research has consistently linked smiling to lower heart rates and reduced blood pressure, especially during stressful situations.

Screenshots

Tesseract4 screens
KeepSmilin'4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KeepSmilin' at none against Tesseract's 3. Tesseract's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. KeepSmilin' asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Tesseract versus KeepSmilin': the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTesseractKeepSmilin'
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (110 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings110 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoateractionLars Hornbeck

Bugs and 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

KeepSmilin'

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Tesseract

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$12.99
None

KeepSmilin'

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tesseract free?
Tesseract is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KeepSmilin' free?
KeepSmilin' is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tesseract or KeepSmilin' have ads?
Neither Tesseract nor KeepSmilin' shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tesseract or KeepSmilin'?
Tesseract ships an update fortnightly, and KeepSmilin' fortnightly. Most recently, Tesseract was updated on October 22, 2026 and KeepSmilin' on October 18, 2026.

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