Comparison

StickyCamera vs Ephemeral Trace

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

Head to head
About

StickyCamera

This app captures photos without saving them to your device's camera roll, keeping it clean. It optimizes image quality for small file sizes and allows direct sharing to platforms like Twitter.

Highlights
  • Saves photos without cluttering camera roll
  • Optimizes image quality for small file sizes
  • Direct sharing to Twitter
  • Ideal for quick notes and in-game captures
Read full description

Is not a leaving pictures taken camera roll, is an application that can then be stored photos. When would using a standard camera app when you leave a little note to the iPhone, To camera roll dirty would, but it capacity also will take a lot. And if this app, because the camera roll and not to leave the photo, it does not pollute the camera roll! Furthermore, pictures taken in order to save off the image quality, capacity you need very small. (Instead, photos will be rough.) In addition, because the post to Twitter is also possible, you can also post photos to Twitter without leaving the photos in the camera roll. - Little note there that want to keep the iPhone photo of you - If I want to note the opponent election of when you're doing a Pokemon battle, there have lamented When you take a picture every time the camera roll is dirty cause, and you It is recommended app.

About

Ephemeral Trace

Features
Read full description

Photos that delete themselves. Ephemeral Trace is a private camera for photos and videos that only need to exist for a while. Choose an expiry before you shoot. Each capture counts down, then deletes itself when time runs out. No cloud. No account. No tracking. FOR PHOTOS THAT HAD ONE JOB A receipt you need until tonight. A whiteboard after the meeting. A parking spot. A document you are sending once. A serial number. The Wi-Fi password at a rental. Take the photo. Use it. Let it go. SET THE TIMER BEFORE YOU SHOOT Choose 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 24 hours. Pro adds custom timers up to one year and Keep Forever when a photo really should stay. TIME, MADE VISIBLE Every capture has a live countdown and a decay ring that empties as time runs out. Short timers burn hot. Long ones run cool. If a capture expires while you are looking at it, it flares once and dissolves. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No accounts • No analytics or tracking • No advertising identifiers • No cloud storage or servers • No crash reporting • Photo Library access is Add Only. The app can save a photo when you ask, but it cannot read your existing library. Your media stays on your iPhone. ENCRYPTED, THEN GONE Captures live in the app's private storage, protected by iOS Data Protection. When a timer ends, the file and its encryption key are removed together. Captures are excluded from iCloud and iTunes backups, so a capture does not outlive its timer inside a backup. There is no trash, Recently Deleted folder, or undo path. A LIBRARY THAT EMPTIES ITSELF See what is still alive at a glance. Long-press any item to extend its timer, change its expiry, move it, share it, save it to Photos, or delete it early. FOLDERS WITHOUT THE PILE-UP Organize captures into folders with identity colors and custom covers. Choose a default folder and shoot straight into it. The free version includes up to two folders. ONE-TIME PRO Pro unlocks: • Keep Forever • Custom timer presets up to one year • Unlimited folders • Biometric gallery lock with Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID • All future Pro features One purchase. No subscription. Ever. Free includes unlimited photo and video capture, all four standard timers, automatic deletion, decay rings and countdowns, long-press actions, up to two folders, gallery filters, statistics, and export to Photos. Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Ukrainian. Your privacy is not a feature. It is the foundation.

Screenshots

StickyCamera4 screens
Ephemeral Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ephemeral Trace at none against StickyCamera's shown. Ephemeral Trace also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). StickyCamera's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, 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. StickyCamera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StickyCamera ships an update every 5 days, Ephemeral Trace every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
StickyCamera versus Ephemeral Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStickyCameraEphemeral Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKensuke HoshikawaEphemeral Trace LDA

In-app purchases

1 purchases

StickyCamera

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
1 purchases

Ephemeral Trace

One-time1
  • Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99

Questions

Is StickyCamera free?
StickyCamera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ephemeral Trace free?
Ephemeral Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StickyCamera or Ephemeral Trace have ads?
StickyCamera shows ads; Ephemeral Trace does not.
Which is updated more often, StickyCamera or Ephemeral Trace?
StickyCamera ships an update every 5 days, and Ephemeral Trace every 2 weeks. Most recently, StickyCamera was updated on September 18, 2026 and Ephemeral Trace on September 18, 2026.

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