Comparison

OpenKey vs Placefold

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

Head to head
About

OpenKey

Unlock hotel rooms worldwide using your smartphone as a secure digital key. Access your room instantly, share keys with companions, and manage your stay with features like check-out details and hotel information.

Highlights
  • Instant room access
  • Digital key sharing
  • Contact hotel operations
  • View check-out details
  • Room number displayed
  • Explore hotel amenities
  • Request check-out
Features
Read full description

Introducing the latest release of the OpenKey Guest mobile app! Access hotel rooms worldwide with a secure and convenient digital key directly on your smartphone. With the OpenKey app, you can enjoy the following features: - Instant Room Access: Easily unlock your guest room with a simple touch of a button. No more fumbling with keycards or waiting in line at the front desk. - Key Sharing: Share your digital key with up to 4 other guests, making it easier for your travel companions to access the room. - Contact Hotel: Contact the hotel operations team for any additional needs during your stay, like extra pillows or towels, potential reservation details, and questions that may arise. - Check-Out Details: View your check-out date and time on the mobile key, helping you stay organized and plan your departure effortlessly. - Room Number on Mobile Key: Say goodbye to the hassle of carrying a keycard jacket. Your room number is conveniently displayed on the mobile key, allowing for a streamlined and hassle-free experience. - Hotel Exploration: Discover hotel amenities, dining options, and other features through the app. Get a comprehensive overview of everything your hotel has to offer. - Check-Out Request: Send a check-out request directly from your mobile key screen. Simplify the check-out process and save valuable time.

About

Placefold

Read full description

Keep what you felt, in one line. You come home with hundreds of photos. A few weeks later, you can't remember what you were thinking when you took them. Placefold is a journal for people who don't journal: one sentence and a photo is enough. HOW PEOPLE USE IT • After a trip: pick a photo from each day and write the one thing you want to remember. Five minutes, not an evening. • Out for coffee or a meal: save the café, add a photo of the plate, and note what made it good. Next time a friend asks where to go, it's on your map. • When you don't know what to write: start with a photo, or make a sticker from it (the ticket, the dessert, the ferry) and let it jog your memory. • Planning the next outing: save places you want to visit, with the reason you saved them, and find them again on the map. • Months later: page through a scrapbook of a trip, a city or a season, made from your own memories. WHAT'S INSIDE • Memories: a line or more of text and up to three photos, tied to a place and a date. • Places: search for places, save where you've been or want to go, and see them all on a map. • Stickers: cut a subject out of a photo, or scan a paper ticket. Made on your device. • Scrapbooks: turn memories into paged books, and share a page as an image. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything you keep stays on your iPhone or iPad. No account, no feed, no followers, no ads, no tracking. FREE AND PRO Places, memories and stickers are free, with no limits, and you can keep two scrapbooks at a time. Placefold Pro, an optional monthly or annual subscription, lets you make more scrapbooks. If Pro ends, your books stay readable and editable. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://app.notion.com/p/Placefold-Terms-of-Use-3d308950ed0b80d2ad23d32b5971a777

Screenshots

OpenKey4 screens
Placefold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenKey at none against Placefold's 2. OpenKey also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Placefold's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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. Placefold sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OpenKey asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenKey ships an update every 2 months, Placefold every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
OpenKey versus Placefold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenKeyPlacefold
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOPENKEY, INC.MICHAEL PIOUS

Bugs and requests

OpenKey

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Fails to unlock doors sometimes
  • Issues with updating and reinstalling

Requested features

2 requests
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Improved error handling and troubleshooting

Placefold

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

OpenKey

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Placefold

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Placefold Pro$2.991 Month
  • Annual Placefold Pro$19.991 Year

Questions

Is OpenKey free?
OpenKey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Placefold free?
Placefold is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do OpenKey or Placefold have ads?
Neither OpenKey nor Placefold shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenKey or Placefold?
OpenKey ships an update every 2 months, and Placefold every 11 days. Most recently, OpenKey was updated on November 6, 2026 and Placefold on October 31, 2026.

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