Comparison

MessageFuture vs Then

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

Head to head
About

MessageFuture

Features
Read full description

Write it today. They open it on the day that matters. MessageFuture is a time capsule for the people you love. Record letters, photos, videos and voice notes, and we deliver them on the exact date you choose, up to 30 years from now. A father records a video for his daughter's wedding day while she is still a little girl. He has no idea when that day will come. If he is there, he delivers it himself. If he can't be, a Guardian he trusts delivers it for him. Either way, she hears his voice on the day that matters most. SCHEDULED MESSAGES Pick the date and time: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, a first day at university. Your message arrives by email and in the app on the day you chose. TIMELESS MESSAGES Some moments have no date. Write an open-when letter: open when you become a parent, open when you need courage. Write to a child who isn't born yet, or to someone you haven't met. A Timeless message is stored securely for up to 20 years and waits until you release it. GUARDIANS: ALWAYS DELIVERED Add people you trust as Guardians on any message. You stay in charge and deliver it yourself. If you are ever unable to, through illness, an accident or anything life brings, a Guardian delivers it for you, with only the permissions you give. AI TWINS: YOUR STORIES, WHENEVER THEY'RE NEEDED Answer a few questions and create a Twin that chats in your words and tells your stories. Add photos, videos and memories to its library, and it brings up the right one when it matters: a hard week at work, a big decision, a long night. Across time zones, or on the days you can't pick up the phone, your family can still ask what you would say. Add a cloned voice that sounds close to your own. FUTUREME Write to yourself before the exam, the race or the first day, and open it after. Share it if you like: your real nerves, from before you knew how it ended. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your messages are encrypted in storage and in transit. Nothing is shared unless you choose to share it. PLANS Start free and schedule up to 5 years ahead. Paid plans add monthly credits and scheduling up to 30 years: β€’ Standard: $4.99 a month, 50 credits β€’ Pro: $9.99 a month, 150 credits β€’ Pro Max: $29.99 a month, 600 credits Perfect for parents, couples, and anyone with something important to say and someone important to say it to. Terms of Use: https://app.messagefuture.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://app.messagefuture.com/privacy

About

Then

Features
Read full description

Send voice time capsules to the people you love. Record up to 60 seconds, choose a future date, and share the capsule by Messages or WhatsApp. A capsule can travel three ways: β€’ Send a voice to someone you love. For a birthday, an anniversary, a New Year. They open it in Then, which keeps it sealed and reminds them on the day. β€’ Speak to your future self. A resolution, a reminder of why you started. A year from now, you hear yourself. β€’ Hear your voice from the past. A recording from a year ago, played back today β€” and you find out what became of your hopes. How Then works: 1. Record up to 60 seconds. 2. Choose a future date. 3. Keep the capsule for yourself β€” or send it through WhatsApp or Messages. Apple Journal documents the present. Messengers send everything instantly. Then gives messages time. Private by default: β€’ End-to-end encrypted β€’ No public feed β€’ No mandatory account β€’ Servers only see encrypted blobs Recipients without Then receive a link. With Then installed, capsules can additionally be opened with time-based unlocking. β€” Then Pro – Subscription Then Pro is available as an auto-renewing yearly or monthly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it anytime in your Account settings. Then Pro is $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year. The yearly plan costs $4.99 for the first year and renews at $9.99 per year thereafter. Prices shown are for the United States; they may differ in other regions and are displayed in the app before purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://then.nort.de/privacy.html

Screenshots

MessageFuture4 screens
Then4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Then at weekly against MessageFuture's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. MessageFuture sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Then sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MessageFuture ships an update every 3 weeks, Then weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
MessageFuture versus Then: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMessageFutureThen
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size54 MB9 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNukyLabs LLCJuraj Dollinger-Lenharcik

In-app purchases

9 purchases

MessageFuture

Subscriptions6
  • Standard$4.991 Month
  • Pro$9.991 Month
  • Pro Max$29.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Standard (Annual)$49.991 Year
  • Pro (Annual)$99.991 Year
  • Pro Max (Annual)$299.991 Year
One-time3
  • 50 Credits$11.99
  • 200 Credits$34.99
  • 1,000 Credits$119.99
2 purchases

Then

Subscriptions2
  • Then Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Then Pro Yearly1 Year trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is MessageFuture free?
MessageFuture is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Then free?
Then is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MessageFuture or Then have ads?
Neither MessageFuture nor Then shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MessageFuture or Then?
MessageFuture ships an update every 3 weeks, and Then weekly. Most recently, MessageFuture was updated on October 12, 2026 and Then on October 6, 2026.

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