Comparison

Dead Man's Switch vs DeadSender

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

Head to head
About

Dead Man's Switch

This app acts as a digital safety net, automatically notifying chosen contacts if you fail to check in within a set interval. It's designed for situations where you might be alone or in a risky environment, providing peace of mind for both you and your loved ones.

Highlights
  • Set custom check-in intervals
  • Designate emergency contacts
  • Compose custom alert messages
  • Automatic email notifications
  • Optional SMS alerts with credits
  • Reminders before alert triggers
Features
Read full description

Free to use: email alerts, reminders, widgets, Apple Watch, the daily deadline and up to 3 people. Dead Man's Switch checks that you're OK. Choose how often you'll check in, anywhere from once a day to once a year. Miss your deadline and your phone reminds you. Still no check-in after the grace window, and the people you chose get an email with the message you wrote. It's for anyone who lives alone, hikes or travels solo, has a health condition, or wants the people who care about them to know if something is wrong. CHECK IN WITH ONE TAP • From the app, a widget, a notification, Siri, Control Center or the Action Button • Or automatically: a Shortcuts automation can check you in when you stop your morning alarm • Or press and hold the app icon and tap Check in • On Apple Watch: see the time left on your watch face and check in from your wrist • On your Lock Screen: in the last 8 hours, the time left and a Check in button that works without unlocking • A live countdown shows exactly how long you have, down to the second • Every check-in is confirmed by our server, so what you see is what will happen • Every day by a set time: pick a time, say 9 PM, and that's your deadline every day. Checking in early doesn't move it KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, AND WHEN • See when your contacts would be emailed, and who • Reminders every day and before your deadline • Still no check-in an hour before anyone is told? Your phone can ring like an alarm clock, even on silent (iOS 26) • Settings > Reminders lists what your phone will do next: each reminder in order, then when your people are told • A grace window before anyone is emailed • Send a test email so your contacts know what to expect • If you check in after an alert went out, your contacts get an "all clear" email • Each alert email has a button your people tap to say they're checking on you, and the app shows who did YOUR MESSAGE, YOUR PEOPLE • Write one message for everyone, or a personal one for each person • One tap adds what they'd need: your address, where the spare key is, who relies on you, health notes, who to call • Your contacts don't need the app. They just get an email • When you add someone, they get one short heads-up email from us, so a real alert is never a surprise (you can switch it off) • A typo in someone's address (like gmial.com) is caught when you add them • The people you add are kept on our server only to send your alerts, never shared or sold, and deleted when you turn the switch off. The app asks before anything is sent TEXT ALERTS (US AND CANADA) • Your contacts can get a text as well as the email, once they say yes with one tap • Texts come in small packs. Emails are always free AWAY MODE • Going somewhere without signal? Pick the day you're back, and nobody is emailed before then PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account to create • No location tracking DEAD MAN'S SWITCH PRO (OPTIONAL) • Safety timer: a hike, a run, a first date? Set 1 to 23 hours and where you're going. Not back in time? Your people get your message with that note on top. Start it in the app, with Siri or from the app icon • Up to 10 people instead of 3 • App icons: Pulse, Green, Moon or Daylight on your Home Screen instead of the candle • Yearly $9.99 with the first week free, monthly $1.99, or lifetime $19.99 once • Bought the app before it was free? Pro is included • Subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Available in English, Spanish, German, Polish, French, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Korean. Dead Man's Switch is not an emergency service and does not contact emergency services. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.

About

DeadSender

Features
Read full description

Some things are too important to leave unsaid. DeadSender is a private, encrypted dead man's switch — a digital service that holds your most important messages and delivers them to the people who matter, but only if you can no longer check in. WHY DEADSENDER? Life is unpredictable. An accident, sudden illness, or simply running out of time — there are countless reasons you might not get to say what needs saying. DeadSender makes sure your words still reach the people you love. CHOOSE YOUR BRAND. We love DeadSender, but it's not appropriate for everyone. Choose the brand you want to use: CherishSender for friends and family, FinalSender if you're a bit more formal, LastSender for business contacts, DeathSender for the morbidly funny and LivingSender for a more positive feel. Not only can you choose your brand in app, but match which brand gets sent to which contacts. HOW IT WORKS 1. Write your messages — letters to your spouse, instructions for your kids, account passwords for a trusted family member, anything you want delivered. 2. Choose your contacts — pick who receives what, by email. 3. Check in regularly — a simple tap proves you're okay. Skip a check-in, and a grace period begins with reminders before anything is sent. 4. Stay private, stay in control — edit, update, or delete anything anytime. Nothing leaves your account until it's triggered. FEATURES • End-to-end encryption — messages encrypted on your device, so not even we can read them • Email delivery with attachments — photos, videos, voice recordings, documents • Trustees — trusted people who can verify and trigger delivery if needed • Customizable schedule — check-in intervals from 1 hour to 30 days • Grace period safety buffer — push, email, SMS, and even automated phone call reminders before anything is sent • Test mode — verify the system works end-to-end without sending real messages PRIVACY & SECURITY • AES-256-GCM encryption with PBKDF2 key derivation • Zero-knowledge — the passwords, codes, and security questions you set are the only keys • No data sold, no ads, no tracking • Delete your account and data at any time USE CASES • Final letters to loved ones • Estate and account information for executors • Legacy messages for children to be opened on milestone birthdays • Time-capsule deliveries • Important confessions, apologies, or words left unsaid • Last instructions for your business or partners Phone and SMS check-in service is available with the following locations and services: Satellite Services: Inmarsat Satellite Network (+870), International Networks (+883), International Networks (+882), Iridium satellite numbers (+881) North America: • Anguilla • Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas • Barbados • Bermuda • Canada • Cayman Islands • Costa Rica • Curaçao • Dominica • Dominican Republic • Greenland • Guadeloupe • Guatemala • Honduras • Jamaica • Martinique • Puerto Rico • Saint Lucia • Saint Pierre and Miquelon • Sint Maarten (Dutch) • Trinidad and Tobago • Turks and Caicos Islands • U.S. Virgin Islands • United States Asia: • China • Hong Kong • Japan • Taiwan • Thailand Europe: • Albania • Andorra • Austria • Belarus • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Canary Islands • Croatia • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Estonia • Faroe Islands • Finland • Germany • Gibraltar • Greece • Guernsey • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Isle of Man • Italy • Latvia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Moldova • Monaco • Montenegro • Netherlands • North Macedonia • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • San Marino • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Ukraine • United Kingdom • Vatican City Oceania: • American Samoa • Australia (Heard Island) • Cook Islands • Fiji • Guam • New Zealand • Norfolk Island • Palau • Papua New Guinea • Solomon Islands

Screenshots

Dead Man's Switch4 screens
DeadSender4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dead Man's Switch at every 6 days against DeadSender's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Dead Man's Switch sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and DeadSender sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Man's Switch ships an update every 6 days, DeadSender every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Dead Man's Switch versus DeadSender: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead Man's SwitchDeadSender
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron JinRyan Russell

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Dead Man's Switch

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time4
  • 5 Texts$0.99
  • 15 Texts$1.99
  • 40 Texts$3.99
Show 1 more
  • Pro Lifetime$19.99
3 purchases

DeadSender

One-time3
  • Pro Monthly$5.00
  • Pro Annual$49.00
  • Pro Lifetime$199.00

Questions

Is Dead Man's Switch free?
Dead Man's Switch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DeadSender free?
DeadSender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dead Man's Switch or DeadSender have ads?
Neither Dead Man's Switch nor DeadSender shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Man's Switch or DeadSender?
Dead Man's Switch ships an update every 6 days, and DeadSender every 5 weeks. Most recently, Dead Man's Switch was updated on October 25, 2026 and DeadSender on October 6, 2026.

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