Once vs what comes before
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Once
This app allows hosts to create a shared, disposable-style camera for events. Guests can contribute photos with limited shots, and all images are revealed together at a set time, preserving memories with a unique film aesthetic.
- Create shared event cameras
- QR code guest access (no download needed)
- Limited shots per guest
- Delayed photo reveal
- Private galleries
- Host controls for limits and reveal
- Downloadable galleries
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How Once Works: 1. Create a film for your event and set the rules 2. Share a QR code or link so guests can join in seconds (No download needed for guests) 3. Everyone shoots in the moment with limited shots per person 4. Photos unlock together at the time you choose, ready to relive and save Why Hosts Choose Once: - QR join, no friction: Guests can join with or without the app via App Clip. - Shared camera for the whole group: Centralize every candid and POV in one place. - Limited shots = better photos: Scarcity encourages thoughtful, story-driven captures. - Delayed reveal: Unlock photos at event end or a custom time to keep guests present. - Private by default: You control access, visibility, and downloads. - Host controls: Set shot limits, reveal mode (instant or delayed), and participant caps. - Download everything: Save full galleries to your device or archive them for later. - Beautiful “film” feel: Subtle, tasteful looks that keep skin tones and ambience true. Perfect For: - Weddings and receptions - Bachelor/Bachelorette parties and showers - Birthdays and reunions - Group trips and retreats - Team offsites - School events, clubs, and fundraisers We Care About Your Privacy: Your event gallery is private by default and controlled by the host. We do not sell your data. See our Privacy Policy at once.film/privacy. Support: Questions or feedback? Please feel free to reach out to us at hello@once.film Life happens only Once. Make sure to capture every angle of it.
what comes before
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Each print is the final stage of a destruction. Aim at it to travel back in time. what comes before is the augmented-reality extension of a photographic series on burned forests. The first series was photographed at the Plaine des Maures, in the Var (France), in 2024. Each slide was burned, photographed, then burned again: the final print is the last layer of a palimpsest. This app lets you walk through that palimpsest. Point your device at a print from the series: its earlier states appear one after another, suspended in the room at the artwork's real scale. Move freely — step back to see the whole stack, come close to a single layer, walk between them. Time becomes a space you cross on foot. The experience requires a physical print from the series as its starting point: the app accompanies the artworks — in galleries, exhibitions, or collectors' homes. Prints are unique editions (1/1), digital and analog photography on Hahnemühle Rag Matt Baryta paper, sold at Artenae gallery. Romain Lalire
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: what comes before at none against Once's 18. what comes before also leads on ads (none vs shown). Once's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Once sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. what comes before asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Once | what comes before |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (702 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 702 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 144 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 10xCompany | romain lalire |
In-app purchases
Once
- Film: 10 participants$1.99
- Add 10 participants$3.99
- Film: 25 participants$4.99
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- Film: 25 participants$6.99
- 5 Participants (Unlimited Shots)$9.99
- Unlimited shots upgrade$9.99
- Add 25 Participants$9.99
- Film: 50 participants$14.99
- Film: 50 participants$19.99
- Add 50 Participants$19.99
- 50 Participants (Unlimited Shots)$24.99
- Film: 100 participants$29.99
- Film: 100 participants$39.99
- 100 Participants (Unlimited Shots)$39.99
- Film: 150 participants$49.99
- 150 Participants (Unlimited Shots)$59.99
- Film: 200 participants$69.99
- Film: Unlimited participants$99.99
what comes before
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Once free?
Is what comes before free?
Do Once or what comes before have ads?
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