# passNote vs Family49

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Family49 at none against passNote's 1. Family49 also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. passNote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Family49 asks for nothing beyond the download.

passNote ships an update every 5 days, Family49 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | passNote | Family49 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Size | 80 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ryota Izumi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773491378) | [Srijith Kariyattil](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885177579) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Family49

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/family49/id6789348733)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is passNote free?

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

### Is Family49 free?

Family49 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do passNote or Family49 have ads?

Neither passNote nor Family49 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, passNote or Family49?

passNote ships an update every 5 days, and Family49 weekly. Most recently, passNote was updated on October 28, 2026 and Family49 on October 17, 2026.

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