Comparison

DeadSender vs If You Read This

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

Head to head
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

About

If You Read This

This app sends a pre-written message to your loved ones if you stop checking in. Set your contacts, message, and check-in interval. Open the app daily to reset the timer; if you miss your deadline, your message is automatically delivered.

Highlights
  • Automated texts to emergency contacts
  • Unlimited contacts and messages
  • Custom check-in intervals
  • Escalating reminders
  • Send photos, videos, and voice notes
  • GPS location included
  • Secure encrypted storage
Features
Read full description

Send a message when you can't. If You Read This delivers your personal note to the people you love if you ever stop checking in. Write your message, add your contacts, set your check-in interval. Open the app each day to reset the clock. If you miss your deadline after every reminder has passed, your message is sent automatically. Set it up once. Hope you never need it. Free daily check in with single contact. Features: • Automated texts to your emergency contacts when you miss a check-in • Unlimited contacts • Unlimited messages, with no character limit • A different, personalized message for each contact • Custom check-in intervals, from hours to days • Custom reminder scheduling • Up to three escalating reminders, sent by push and SMS • Reminders that come before the deadline, never after • Automatic check-in just by opening the app • A live countdown to your next reminder and message send • Send photos, videos, and files with your message • Send voice notes in your own voice • GPS location included in your alert • 10GB of secure storage for your media • Recipients access media through a private, tokenized link in their SMS • Messages encrypted at rest with AES-256 • Secure sign-in with your phone number Terms of Use: ifyoureadthis.app/terms

Screenshots

DeadSender4 screens
If You Read This4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: If You Read This at every 2 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. DeadSender sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and If You Read This sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DeadSender ships an update every 5 weeks, If You Read This every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
DeadSender versus If You Read This: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeadSenderIf You Read This
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyan RussellRyanJakob LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

DeadSender

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

If You Read This

Subscriptions4
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Max Monthly7 Days trial$10.001 Month
  • If You Read This Pro7 Days trial$54.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Max Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is DeadSender free?
DeadSender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is If You Read This free?
If You Read This is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DeadSender or If You Read This have ads?
Neither DeadSender nor If You Read This shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DeadSender or If You Read This?
DeadSender ships an update every 5 weeks, and If You Read This every 2 days. Most recently, DeadSender was updated on October 6, 2026 and If You Read This on October 28, 2026.

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