# Shorebound vs passNote

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: passNote at 18.0 against Shorebound's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shorebound sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and passNote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shorebound ships an update every 6 days, passNote every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shorebound | passNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shorebound/id6759057452/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 82 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Command B Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840027648) | [Ryota Izumi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773491378) |

## What reviewers say

### Shorebound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shorebound/id6759057452)

Send messages in digital bottles that travel the world, arriving days later on a stranger's phone. Engage with a calm, ad-free social experience focused on genuine moments and storytelling across 200+ countries.

**Highlights:** Send messages in digital bottles, Bottles travel globally and wash ashore, No feeds, likes, or followers, Writing prompts included, Threaded conversations on bottles, One-tap translation, Private chat after connection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Access | $24.99 | per year |
| Instant Release Token | $1.99 | one-time |
| Revive Token | $1.99 | one-time |
| Instant Release Tokens x5 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Revive Tokens x5 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Instant Release Tokens x10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Revive Tokens x10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $44.99 | one-time |


### passNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passnote-penpal-diary/id6762535541)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $2.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shorebound free?

Shorebound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is passNote free?

passNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shorebound or passNote have ads?

Neither Shorebound nor passNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shorebound or passNote?

Shorebound ships an update every 6 days, and passNote every 5 days. Most recently, Shorebound was updated on September 19, 2026 and passNote on September 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*