Dear Moment vs FamilyAlbum
Short answer. Dear Moment is the better fit if you want an ad-free private family diary with voice notes, and your data kept in the EU: it costs $39.99/year, $19 less than FamilyAlbum Premium Family ($59/year). FamilyAlbum is the better fit if you want a free plan and don't mind ads, or want automatic recap movies and prints.
We make Dear Moment, so we're not neutral. Every fact about FamilyAlbum links to FamilyAlbum's own pages, and we say where FamilyAlbum is better. If something is out of date, email hello@dearmoment.app and we'll fix it.
Side by side
| Dear Moment | FamilyAlbum | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly price | $39.99 · £39.99 · €39.99 | Premium Family: $59 · £54.99 · €54.99 Premium Family Pro: $109 · £104.99 · €104.99 |
| Monthly price | $5.99 · £5.99 · €6.99 | Premium Family: $5.99 · £5.49 · €5.49 Premium Family Pro: $10.99 · £10.49 · €10.49 |
| Free option | 14-day free trial with every feature | Free plan: unlimited photos and videos (videos up to 2 minutes), with ads |
| Ads | None, on any plan | Yes, third-party ads on the free plan |
| Voice notes | Yes, on every plan, transcribed automatically | Not advertised |
| Written notes | Yes | Comments; journals on paid plans |
| How family follow along | Private link with no app or account; email digest weekly, every two weeks or monthly | App, or a browser invitation without the app |
| Recap movies | No | Yes, made automatically |
| Prints and photo books | Photo book coming soon | Prints available |
| Milestones | No | On paid plans (Personal Pages) |
| Where data goes | EU (Frankfurt) | AWS and Google Cloud; transfers to the US, Japan and China |
| AI training | Never used to train AI | Not stated; uses face recognition through Google Cloud |
| Export | Everything, on request | Bulk download on Premium Family Pro only |
Prices from FamilyAlbum's plans page and the US, UK and Irish App Stores. FamilyAlbum also sells a smaller Premium One plan at $2.99/month. "Not advertised" means we could not find it on FamilyAlbum's own pages. Sources are listed at the end.
Where Dear Moment is better
No ads, on any plan
FamilyAlbum's free plan shows third-party ads, and hiding them needs a paid plan. Dear Moment has one plan and no ads at all.
A lower yearly price
Dear Moment's yearly plan is $19 less than FamilyAlbum Premium Family and $69 less than Premium Family Pro. In the UK it is £15 less than Premium Family, and in euro countries €15 less.
A diary, with voice notes
FamilyAlbum is a shared album built around photos and videos. Dear Moment is a diary: you save the moments worth keeping as photos, videos, written notes or voice notes, and voice notes are transcribed so you can read them as well as play them.
Your data stays in the EU
FamilyAlbum's privacy policy lists data transfers to the US, Japan and China, and describes face recognition through Google Cloud. Dear Moment stores data in the EU and never uses your memories to train AI.
Email digests for family
Family members get a private link with no app or account, and you choose whether their email digest of new moments arrives every week, every two weeks or every month.
Where FamilyAlbum is better
- A free plan. FamilyAlbum stores unlimited photos and videos for free, with ads. Dear Moment has a 14-day free trial and no free plan after it.
- Monthly price outside the US. Premium Family costs £5.49 or €5.49 a month, against £5.99 or €6.99 for Dear Moment.
- Recap movies and prints. FamilyAlbum makes short recap movies automatically and sells prints. Dear Moment's photo book is still coming.
- Track record. FamilyAlbum is more established. Dear Moment is newer.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Dear Moment if you want an ad-free private diary with voice notes and stories, email digests for family, and your data in the EU, and you're happy to pay $39.99 a year.
- Choose FamilyAlbum if you want to pay nothing and accept ads, or if automatic recap movies and prints matter most.
Comparing more apps? See our comparison of Dear Moment, Tinybeans, FamilyAlbum and TinyNest and our guide to Tinybeans alternatives.
Questions
Is FamilyAlbum really free?
FamilyAlbum's free plan stores unlimited photos and videos, with videos up to 2 minutes. It shows third-party ads, and removing them needs a paid plan, such as Premium Family at $5.99 a month or $59 a year, or Premium Family Pro at $10.99 a month or $109 a year.
Is Dear Moment cheaper than FamilyAlbum?
Yearly, yes: Dear Moment costs $39.99 a year against $59 for FamilyAlbum Premium Family and $109 for Premium Family Pro. Monthly, the US price is the same at $5.99, and FamilyAlbum Premium Family is cheaper in the UK (£5.49 against £5.99) and in euro countries (€5.49 against €6.99). FamilyAlbum's free plan, with ads, costs nothing.
Where does FamilyAlbum store my photos?
FamilyAlbum's privacy policy says it uses Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, and that data may be transferred to the US, Japan and China. Dear Moment stores data in the EU, in Frankfurt.
Does FamilyAlbum have voice notes?
FamilyAlbum does not advertise voice notes on its website or App Store listing. Dear Moment includes voice notes on every plan and transcribes them automatically.
Can grandparents view without the app?
In both apps, yes. FamilyAlbum can send a browser invitation so family can view and comment without the app. Dear Moment gives each family member a private link with no app or account, plus an email digest every week, every two weeks or every month.
Sources
- FamilyAlbum: plans and prices, privacy policy, browser viewing, ads, bulk download, App Store (UK, Ireland)
- Dear Moment: pricing and FAQ, privacy policy, comparison with Tinybeans, FamilyAlbum and TinyNest
Try Dear Moment free for 14 days. Then $5.99/month or $39.99/year. Cancel anytime before your trial ends and you won't be charged.