# passNote vs HelloMe US

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HelloMe US at none against passNote's 1. HelloMe US 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. HelloMe US asks for nothing beyond the download.

passNote ships an update every 5 days, HelloMe US every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | passNote | HelloMe US |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellome-us/id6789989445/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 80 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ryota Izumi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773491378) | [HELLOME.US, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789989447) |

## 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 |


### HelloMe US

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellome-us/id6789989445)

This app provides a privacy-first way to see when close friends are available without direct communication. Users set a color status indicating their reachability, allowing for ambient awareness of loved ones. Group friends into circles for tailored availability updates.

**Highlights:** Color-coded availability status, Circles for friend grouping, Privacy-first design, Optional contact syncing, Gentle availability notifications, Direct calling/texting integration

**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 HelloMe US free?

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

### Do passNote or HelloMe US have ads?

Neither passNote nor HelloMe US shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, passNote or HelloMe US?

passNote ships an update every 5 days, and HelloMe US every 3 days. Most recently, passNote was updated on October 5, 2026 and HelloMe US on October 14, 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.*