Comparison

DesignPass vs HowLong

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

Head to head
About

DesignPass

Create custom Apple Wallet passes directly on your device. Choose from templates or start from scratch, then personalize text, colors, images, and details. Save your designs as reusable templates or add them to your wallet.

Highlights
  • Create passes from scratch or templates
  • Customize text, colors, images, and dates
  • Supports coupons, store cards, tickets, and more
  • Live preview of pass design
  • Save designs as reusable templates
  • Export signed .pkpass files
Features
Read full description

Create personal Apple Wallet passes on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Start with a built-in template, create a pass from scratch, or import an existing .pkpass or .pkpasstemplate file. Customize text, colours, images, dates, locations, barcodes and pass details, with a live preview as you edit. DesignPass supports coupons, store cards, boarding passes, event tickets, generic passes and poster layouts. Add event schedules, venue information and passenger details where the pass type supports them. Export a signed .pkpass file to save or share, then add it to Apple Wallet on iPhone. Save your designs as reusable templates and sync your template library through iCloud when available. All DesignPass Premium features are free in this version, including attribution control, Sharing Restriction, the pass.json viewer, Upcoming Events, Event Guide, Advanced Passenger Info and Lab tools. Subscribing is optional and supports DesignPass’s development. Monthly and yearly subscriptions support Family Sharing; local prices, eligible offers and renewal terms are shown in the app through the App Store. No DesignPass account is required. Pass creation and signing take place on your device. DesignPass is for personal use and prototyping; it does not replace passes issued by an airline, venue or other provider. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

HowLong

Easily track expiration dates for food, documents, subscriptions, and more. Get at-a-glance countdowns and set multiple reminders to avoid missing deadlines. Features include manual entry, camera scanning, and home screen widgets.

Highlights
  • Track expiration dates
  • Set multiple reminders
  • Scan items with camera
  • Import from Photos
  • Home screen widgets
  • Categorize items
Features
Read full description

Keep expiration dates and important deadlines in one place. Track food expiration dates, return windows, warranty deadlines, document renewals, and subscription dates—and get reminders before time runs out. Add items manually, scan dates with your camera, import from Photos, or use the system Share extension. Each item supports a category, notes, source, and expiration date. Set multiple advance reminders. Home highlights items expiring soon and items that have expired. Calendar lets you browse deadlines by date, Search finds items by title, notes, or category, and widgets and Apple Watch keep countdowns close at hand. Complete and archive handled items, then restore them later. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DesignPass4 screens
HowLong4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DesignPass at none against HowLong's 3. HowLong's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. HowLong sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. DesignPass asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DesignPass ships an update every 3 days, HowLong every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
DesignPass versus HowLong: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesignPassHowLong
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS27.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer若昕 胡荣福 方

Customer experience

DesignPass

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

HowLong

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DesignPass

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

HowLong

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Premium 年付7 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$24.99

Questions

Is DesignPass free?
DesignPass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HowLong free?
HowLong is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DesignPass or HowLong have ads?
Neither DesignPass nor HowLong shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DesignPass or HowLong?
DesignPass ships an update every 3 days, and HowLong every 5 days. Most recently, DesignPass was updated on October 19, 2026 and HowLong on October 25, 2026.

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