Otay vs DAYUS
Last checked: October 28, 2026, against each app’s own website and App Store listing.
DAYUS and Otay are the closest neighbours on this list: both are private, both are iPhone apps for two, and both ask each of you for a photo every day. DAYUS keeps it free-form, with your partner's photo sealed until you post yours. Otay gives you both the same small quest and keeps the answers as a journal with a map and throwbacks.
In their words: DAYUS (DAYUS: Couple Daily Photo) describes itself as a place where you and your partner each post one photo a day, just the two of you. Otay: Otay is a private photo journal app for two people, on iPhone. Every day both of you get the same small photo quest and answer it with a back-camera photo and a selfie, a caption and a place, and your two answers sit side by side in a shared journal only the two of you can see, with a photo calendar, a map, throwbacks, a kind streak map, a wardrobe for your two little characters and Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets.
We make Otay. We have tried to be fair, and every fact about DAYUS below comes from the sources listed at the end. If something is out of date, tell us at hi@otay.app and we will fix it.
At a glance
| Feature | Otay | DAYUS |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | A daily photo quest you both answer, kept side by side in a shared journal | One photo and a short note from each of you every day |
| Daily prompt | The same small photo quest for both of you; roll another if you like | No prompt. Post whatever your day looks like |
| Reveal | Both answers sit side by side as one memory | Your partner's photo stays sealed until you send your own |
| Photos | A back-camera photo and a selfie each, with a caption and a place | One photo and a short note each; comments and a knock if they have not posted |
| Looking back | Journal, photo calendar, map and throwbacks | A calendar of every day you shared, and a short video of your days |
| Widgets | Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets | A Home Screen widget with both of your latest photos |
| Platforms | iPhone, iOS 17 or later (the App Store also lists iPad). Not on Android yet. | iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Its site says Android is in the works |
| Free plan | Free, no time limit and no ads. You see your last 30 days of memories (at least your newest 15); older ones lock, never deleted. | Free to download; paid tiers not stated on its site, and no In-App Purchases are listed |
| One subscription for both? | Yes. When either partner subscribes to Otay Premium, both get it. | Not applicable, no paid plan listed |
| Privacy | Only your partner sees your memories. Encrypted in transit and at rest by its storage providers. Not end-to-end encrypted. | Says only the connected partner sees your photos, with no public feed, likes or followers. Encryption not stated |
| App Store rating (US) | Not enough ratings for the App Store to show an average yet. | No ratings yet. Released May 2026 |
| Paid plan (US App Store) | Otay Premium, monthly or yearly. See /pricing. | None listed |
DAYUS is the better pick if
- You want no prompt at all, just whatever each of you is doing today.
- You like the sealed reveal: you cannot peek until you have posted.
- You want to comment on a photo or knock when your partner has not posted.
- You want it fully free with no paid plan to think about.
Otay is the better pick if
- You want a shared quest, so there is never a blank page.
- You want a selfie and a place with every photo, and a map and throwbacks to look back through.
- You like dressing up a pair of little characters and keeping a kind streak.
The short version
If you want the barest possible one photo a day, DAYUS is simple and free. If you want a prompt and a journal that grows into a map and a calendar, Otay is the fuller version of the same habit. Both are young apps, so look at how each one feels in your first week.
Sources
All checked on October 28, 2026.
- DAYUS on the App Store (US): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dayus-couple-daily-photo/id6752271323
- iTunes lookup for DAYUS (release date, rating count): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6752271323&country=us
- dayus.app: https://dayus.app
- Otay on the App Store (US): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/couples-photo-journal-otay/id6769610508
- otay.app, Otay's privacy page: https://otay.app/privacy
- otay.app, Otay's pricing page: https://otay.app/pricing
Otay turns small moments into a shared journal, just for the two of you.
One small photo quest a day. You both answer, and your two halves hang side by side, in a journal with no feed, no algorithm and no ads. Free to download on the App Store.
Download Otay on the App Store
