Comparison

Cafe Journal & Map vs SweetsMap

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

Head to head
About

Cafe Journal & Map

Discover and map cafes during your travels, especially in Japan. Save detailed records of your cafe experiences, including photos, notes, menu items, and ratings. Organize your findings with tags and a visually appealing interface, with advanced features available through an optional subscription.

Highlights
  • Save cafe photos, locations, ratings, and notes
  • Record menu items and prices with AI scanning
  • Organize cafes with tags and map pins
  • Customize UI with themes and color palettes
  • Manage cafes by purpose (e.g., Date, Work)
  • Create cafe cards for sharing
Features
Read full description

Caffy helps you find, map, and save cafes during your trip in Japan. Beautifully record your cafe memories ・Save photos, cafe names, locations, ratings, and notes together ・Record menu names and prices ・Organize your cafe records with tags ・Use voice input to help add notes and menu details ・Easily enter menu items and prices with AI receipt scanning A design that feels personal ・A refined UI that makes cafe photos stand out ・Choose from more than 30 theme colors ・Create your own color palette with custom themes ・Supports light and dark mode ・Customize your profile image, profile background, and calendar background Organize and discover cafes on the map ・View recorded cafes and pins on the map ・Explore recorded cafes around your current location ・Check cafe lists and rankings to find places that interest you ・Search by cafe name, location, station/line, tag, or user Manage pins by purpose ・Organize cafes with “Want to go,” “Visited,” and “Favorite” ・Classify cafes by purpose, such as “Date,” “Work/Meeting,” “With friends,” “With family,” “Solo time,” “Study/Work,” and “Special day” ・Colorful pins make everything easy to recognize on the map Easy to use privately ・Choose profile visibility from “Everyone,” “Friends only,” or “Private” ・Accepted friends can view your profile and records even when visibility is set to Private Weekly Caffy ・Create cafe cards from records with photos ・Choose themes such as Story, Film, and Polaroid ・Save created cards as images Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Caffy Pro (optional) Alternate app icons, widgets, theme customization, camera filters, expanded photo and video records, receipt scanning, and voice input require a paid subscription. Choose a monthly or annual auto-renewing plan. Prices and billing periods are displayed in the app before purchase. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple account settings. Cafe search and basic records remain free.

About

SweetsMap

Record your favorite sweets and cafes on a personalized map. Save sweet memories with intuitive mapping, custom ratings, and iCloud synchronization. Explore your sweet journey with a unique, visual diary.

Highlights
  • Map-based recording
  • Intuitive search and logging
  • Themed UI based on sweets
  • Personalized ratings and notes
  • Map view of recorded spots
  • iCloud data synchronization
Read full description

SweetsMap is your personal diary for sweets lovers—wagashi, Western pastries, cafés, and more. Some memories aren’t for social media. They’re just yours. SweetsMap lets you quietly map those sweet moments with simple, intuitive controls. KEY FEATURES Easy search & logging Powered by MapKit—search a shop by name to pin its location, or save right from where you are. Themes that match your sweets The UI shifts with what you’re recording: matcha green for wagashi, berry pink for pâtisserie, mocha brown for cafés (and a lavender look for afternoon tea). Your own ratings & notes Rate places with stars and leave private notes—just for you. Look back on the map See every spot you’ve saved. Tap a pin for details anytime. iCloud sync Your data stays in your iCloud account, so it’s ready after a device change. SWEETSMAP PRO (one-time purchase) • Unlimited records (free version: up to 3) • Map styles: satellite & hybrid • Priority access to upcoming Pro features From the tiny bakery you found on a walk to the historic wagashi shop you discovered while traveling—turn your footsteps into a one-of-a-kind sweets map that’s yours alone.

Screenshots

Cafe Journal & Map4 screens
SweetsMap3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cafe Journal & Map at 100% against SweetsMap's 0%. Cafe Journal & Map also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). SweetsMap's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Cafe Journal & Map sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and SweetsMap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cafe Journal & Map ships an update weekly, SweetsMap every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 4 level
Cafe Journal & Map versus SweetsMap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCafe Journal & MapSweetsMap
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size233 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAyumu KubotaJUNICHI HASHIMOTO

Customer experience

Cafe Journal & Map

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SweetsMap

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Cafe Journal & Map

Subscriptions2
  • Caffy Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Caffy Pro Annual$14.991 Year
1 purchases

SweetsMap

One-time1
  • SweetsMap Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Cafe Journal & Map free?
Cafe Journal & Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SweetsMap free?
SweetsMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cafe Journal & Map or SweetsMap have ads?
Cafe Journal & Map shows ads; SweetsMap does not.
Which is updated more often, Cafe Journal & Map or SweetsMap?
Cafe Journal & Map ships an update weekly, and SweetsMap every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cafe Journal & Map was updated on October 30, 2026 and SweetsMap on October 31, 2026.

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