# Kaarma vs passNote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kaarma at none against passNote's 1. Kaarma also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). passNote's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. passNote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Kaarma asks for nothing beyond the download.

Kaarma ships an update every 2 weeks, passNote every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kaarma | passNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Size | 95 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kaarma SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1802661281) | [Ryota Izumi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773491378) |

## What reviewers say

### Kaarma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaarma/id6743408611)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### passNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passnote-penpal-diary/id6762535541)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $2.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kaarma free?

Kaarma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is passNote free?

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

### Do Kaarma or passNote have ads?

Neither Kaarma nor passNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kaarma or passNote?

Kaarma ships an update every 2 weeks, and passNote every 5 days. Most recently, Kaarma was updated on October 28, 2026 and passNote on October 28, 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.*