Comparison

Now vs the roll

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

Head to head
About

Now

This app allows groups to capture moments together using a shared disposable camera experience. Create an event, invite guests who can join instantly, and take limited photos. The gallery is revealed later, offering a unique way to relive memories from multiple perspectives.

Highlights
  • Shared disposable camera experience
  • Create and join events instantly
  • Limited photo capture per guest
  • Delayed gallery reveal option
  • Host controls for events
  • Private by default sharing
  • Export full photo gallery
Features
Read full description

Now turns any gathering into a shared disposable camera. Create an event, invite your guests, and capture the moment together — then reveal the memories when the time feels right. How Now Works : - Create your event and set how it unfolds - Guests join instantly by QR code (no app download needed) - Everyone captures a limited number of shots - Reveal the gallery later and relive the moment together Designed for Real Moments : - One shared album : Every perspective lives in the same place - Instant join : Guests can start capturing without friction - Limited shots : Encourages intentional, candid photos - Delayed reveal : Unlock photos instantly or at a chosen time - Host controls : Manage participants, timing, and event flow - Private by default : You decide who sees and saves the memories - Export your event : Download and keep the full gallery anytime Where People Use Now : From spontaneous nights with friends to once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, Now helps groups capture memories together — without turning the moment into a photoshoot. Create the moment. Capture together. See it from every perspective.

About

the roll

Read full description

Some nights deserve more than a camera roll full of posed selfies and carefully curated stories. The Roll is a shared disposable camera for you and your crew. Everyone shoots blind. Nobody sees anything - not even their own photos - until the timer hits zero. Then it all comes out at once. >> How it works Start a roll, name it, and invite your crew. Everyone shoots into a shared pool of photos - no previews, no filters, no second chances. When the time comes, the roll locks. Then, at exactly the right moment, every photo from every person is revealed simultaneously. The good, the bad, the completely unhinged. That's the whole thing. And it's better than you'd expect. >> Why it feels different Most photo apps are about curation. The Roll is about capture. There's no pressure to look good, no checking what you shot, no deleting the blurry ones. You just point and shoot - and trust that the moment is worth keeping. The simultaneous reveal is where the magic happens. Opening a roll with your friends and seeing what everyone caught - angles you missed, moments you forgot, faces mid-laugh - feels like developing film from a disposable camera. Except everyone's camera, all at once. >> Built for real nights Whether it's a house party, a weekend trip, a birthday, or just a random Tuesday that turned into something - The Roll captures it the way it actually felt. Not the version you'd post. The real one. - Shared photo pool: everyone's shots, one roll - Blind shooting: no previews, no filters, no do-overs - Simultaneous reveal: everyone sees everything at the same time - Disposable camera aesthetic: warm, grainy, honest - Reactions: relive the night together, shot by shot - Party & Event rolls: bigger crews, more shots, custom reveal times - Add shots mid-roll: when 30 just isn't enough The Roll. Your night, unfiltered. Privacy policy: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-privacy-policy-3273d8355035801eacecd9e0b4b7d9ca?source=copy_link Contact us: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-contact-us-3273d83550358081b5f3fcbd9e70c06f?source=copy_link

Screenshots

Now4 screens
the roll4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Now at daily against the roll's every 2 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. Now sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and the roll sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Now ships an update daily, the roll every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Now versus the roll: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNowthe roll
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB20 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHADY JAAFARVan der Velden BV

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Now

One-time7
  • Create Event – Up to 10 Guests$1.99
  • Create Event – Up to 25 Guests2 variants$4.99
  • Create Event – Up to 50 Guests2 variants$9.99
Show 4 more
  • Create Event – Up to 200 Guests2 variants$19.99
  • Create Event - Up to 100 Guests$19.99
  • Create Event – Up to 150 Guests$19.99
  • Create Event – Up to 100 Guests$19.99
3 purchases

the roll

One-time3
  • 15 Shot Booster$1.49
  • Party Roll$2.99
  • Event Roll$7.99

Questions

Is Now free?
Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is the roll free?
the roll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Now or the roll have ads?
Neither Now nor the roll shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Now or the roll?
Now ships an update daily, and the roll every 2 weeks. Most recently, Now was updated on October 10, 2026 and the roll on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons