# OpenPPG vs Holiday Messenger

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenPPG at none against Holiday Messenger's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Holiday Messenger sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. OpenPPG asks for nothing beyond the download.

OpenPPG ships an update monthly, Holiday Messenger every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OpenPPG | Holiday Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 9 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [research app](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807596075) | [Michael Ladd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820956276) |

## What reviewers say

### OpenPPG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openppg/id6744415040)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Holiday Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holiday-messenger/id6754703559)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Messenger Pro | $1.99 | one-time |
| HolidayMessengerPro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OpenPPG free?

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

### Is Holiday Messenger free?

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

### Do OpenPPG or Holiday Messenger have ads?

Neither OpenPPG nor Holiday Messenger shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OpenPPG or Holiday Messenger?

OpenPPG ships an update monthly, and Holiday Messenger every 3 weeks. Most recently, OpenPPG was updated on October 10, 2026 and Holiday Messenger on October 25, 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.*