Postdate vs FutureMe
Updated
FutureMe emails a letter to an inbox on the date you pick, as far ahead as 2076. Postdate gives you a link today that shows a countdown, then opens at your time, within a year. Postdate needs no account and encrypts in your browser.
At a glance
| Postdate | FutureMe | |
|---|---|---|
| How it reaches people | A link with a countdown. Share it today and it opens at your time. | An email on the delivery date. Nothing to share before then. |
| What you can send | Text and up to 10 files. Up to 100 MB with the $3 option. | A letter. With Premium, images up to 16 MB, documents up to 5 MB and videos up to 30 seconds. |
| Account or email | None, for you or the people you share it with. | A verified email. An account to write to someone else. |
| How far ahead | Up to one year ahead, and at least 5 minutes. | At least 7 days ahead. Its year picker runs to 2076. |
| Price | Basic is free within 7 days and 1 MB. Otherwise $3 once per Postdate. Timelock is always $3. | Attachments need Premium, which its help center calls a small annual fee. |
| Who can read it early | Encrypted in your browser. Basic: Postdate holds the key and promises not to read it. Timelock: the key needs a future drand release. | Its pages describe no browser encryption. Its terms allow it to monitor content. |
| After it opens | Stays open for 1 hour to 30 days, as you choose. | An email in the inbox, with no expiry. |
| Deleting it | Basic has a private delete link. A Timelock cannot be deleted by its sender. | Edit for 48 hours after writing. Delete from your account. |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese. | English. |
Facts about FutureMe come from its own pages, checked on . Services change, so check their current terms before you choose.
Which one to choose
Choose Postdate when
- You want people to have the link now and watch the countdown, for a reveal, a launch or a birthday.
- You do not want to sign up or give an email address, and neither do the people opening it.
- You want it to open in less than 7 days, even within the hour.
- You want your text and files encrypted in your browser before upload.
- You want to pay once per message, $3, when you need files over 1 MB or a date past 7 days.
Choose FutureMe when
- You want it to arrive years from now. FutureMe schedules letters as far as 2076; Postdate stops at one year.
- You want it delivered to an inbox, with nobody keeping a link.
- You want phone apps, video attachments or a public anonymous letter.
- You want to edit the letter after writing it.
Create a new Postdate Basic: free within 7 days and 1 MB after encryption. $3 up to 1 year and 100 MB after encryption.
Common questions
Can I write to my future self with Postdate?
Yes, within one year. Save the link somewhere you will find it, or add the opening time to your calendar from the countdown page. Postdate sends no email, so for a letter years away FutureMe fits better.
Does the recipient need an account?
Neither service needs one to read. FutureMe needs a verified email to write, and an account to write to someone else. Postdate needs no account or email to create or to open.
Which one is private before the date?
Postdate encrypts your text and files in your browser before upload. With Basic, Postdate holds the key and promises not to read it; with Timelock, the key needs a future drand release. FutureMe describes no browser encryption.
Sources
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