Comparison

Braces Bands vs Smile Journey

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

Head to head
About

Braces Bands

This app helps you build a consistent habit of wearing your orthodontic rubber bands. Track your wear time, set daily goals, and receive reminders to ensure you stay on track with your treatment. Easily log your progress and make consistent advancements in your braces journey.

Highlights
  • Wear timer with single tap logging
  • Daily wear calendar visualization
  • Re-wear reminders for missed sessions
  • Customizable daily goals and alerts
  • Edit past wear time entries
  • Home widget for quick access (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Built by a Korean who had braces for a long time. Braces Bands is an app designed to help you build a healthy habit of wearing your orthodontic elastics (rubber bands). Track your wear time, set daily goals, and make consistent progress in your braces journey. ** Key Features - Wear Timer : Start or stop the timer with a single tap to easily log your wear time. - Wear Calendar : See your daily records at a glance and stay motivated. - Re-wear Reminder : Get notified if you forget to wear your bands for too long. - Goal & Reminder Settings : Customize your daily wear goal and re-wear alert interval. - Edit Wear Time : Forgot to start the timer? No problem—just tap the calendar to edit your wear time later. - Band Replacement Reminder : Set a replacement schedule—start date, interval, and alert times—to get notified and log each band change. - Aligner Mode : Track your Invisalign or clear aligner trays. Enter total and current tray numbers, see progress on your calendar. - Dental Appointment Reminder : Save your next visit and get alerted before you go. Appointment days are marked right on your calendar. - Visit Notes : Keep your dentist's instructions and band or wire changes as dated notes you can revisit anytime. - Teeth Photos : Snap or pick photos for any calendar date to track how your teeth change. Days with photos are marked right on your calendar. (Up to 3 per day) ** How to Use When you open the app, the timer starts in wearing mode. Tap the timer when you take off your bands—like during meals or brushing—to log non-wear time. Set your daily goal and reminder interval to stay on track. Forgot to use the timer? Edit your records anytime via the calendar. **Premium Features - Remove Ads : Enjoy the app without any ads. - Home Widget : Check your wear status right from your home screen. - Cloud Backup : Automatically back up your wear records, replacement records, goal/reminder settings, and teeth photos using your social login account, and restore them anytime by signing in with the same account on a new device. (Note: Restoring purchases and restoring cloud backups are different processes. Cloud backup restoration is done through your signed-in social account, while your Premium subscription must be purchased/restored separately on the store you're using.) **Subscription Notice Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Active subscriptions cannot be cancelled during the current billing period. Start tracking your wear time today, and build a healthy habit that sticks! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://kbpzdm.com/apps/braces-bands/privacy

About

Smile Journey

Track your clear aligner treatment progress with photo documentation and wear time logging. Features include reminders, treatment timelines, and notes. Optional premium features offer cloud sync, time-lapses, and comparison tools.

Highlights
  • Guided progress photos
  • Daily wear time tracking
  • Treatment timeline
  • Notes and reminders
  • Weekly check-ins
  • iCloud sync and backup (Premium)
  • Cinematic time-lapse (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Track your clear aligner journey with confidence. Capture progress photos, log daily wear time, and see your smile transform — all in one app designed for clear aligner patients. WHAT'S FREE SmileJourney includes everything you need to track your treatment at no cost: - Guided Progress Photos — consistent angle and framing every time - Daily Wear Time Tracking — hit your 22-hour goal and stay on track - Treatment Timeline — see which tray you're on and what's next - Notes — record discomfort, milestones, or anything you notice - Reminders — for tray changes, appointments, and daily wear goals - Weekly Check-Ins — reflect on compliance, fit, and progress SMILEJOURNEY PREMIUM (optional subscription) Unlock additional tools to get the most out of your treatment: - iCloud Sync & Backup — access your data on all your Apple devices and never lose your progress - Cinematic Time-Lapse — export your full smile transformation as a smooth video to share with your orthodontist, family, or friends - Side-by-Side Compare — place any two progress photos next to each other to see the difference - Split-Reveal Viewer — drag to reveal before and after in one view Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription. Pricing is shown in the app before purchase. Free trial included. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. DESIGNED FOR CLEAR ALIGNER TREATMENT Every feature is built for the routine of removable aligners: tracking wear time, switching trays on schedule, and documenting your smile transformation. Works with all major clear aligner brands. PRIVACY FIRST Your photos and treatment data stay on your device. With optional iCloud Sync, data is encrypted and stored in your personal iCloud account — never on our servers. See our privacy policy for details. Download SmileJourney and start documenting the smile you've always wanted. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://smilejourney.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Braces Bands4 screens
Smile Journey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Braces Bands at 4.5 against Smile Journey's 3.0. Braces Bands also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Smile Journey's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Braces Bands sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Smile Journey sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Braces Bands holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Braces Bands ships an update every 11 days, Smile Journey every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Braces Bands versus Smile Journey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBraces BandsSmile Journey
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (4 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size97 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKimgrowthAPPS FOR DENTISTS, MCHJ

Customer experience

Braces Bands

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smile Journey

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Braces Bands

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$24.99
2 purchases

Smile Journey

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly14 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Braces Bands free?
Braces Bands is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smile Journey free?
Smile Journey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Braces Bands or Smile Journey?
Braces Bands is rated higher. Braces Bands averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Smile Journey averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Braces Bands or Smile Journey have ads?
Braces Bands shows ads; Smile Journey does not.
Which is updated more often, Braces Bands or Smile Journey?
Braces Bands ships an update every 11 days, and Smile Journey every 2 months. Most recently, Braces Bands was updated on October 30, 2026 and Smile Journey on November 5, 2026.

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