Postdate vs OpenItLater
Updated
Both give you a link with a countdown that you can share before the message opens. OpenItLater is free and takes typed text. Postdate also carries files, offers a Timelock that relies on the drand network, and works in six languages.
At a glance
| Postdate | OpenItLater | |
|---|---|---|
| How it reaches people | A link with a countdown. Share it today and it opens at your time. | A link with a countdown. Email delivery if you sign in. |
| What you can send | Text and up to 10 files. Up to 100 MB with the $3 option. | Typed text. Its create form has no file attachments. |
| Account or email | None, for you or the people you share it with. | None for a link. Sign in for email delivery or to save a copy. |
| How far ahead | Up to one year ahead, and at least 5 minutes. | Hours to years ahead. No maximum stated. |
| Price | Basic is free within 7 days and 1 MB. Otherwise $3 once per Postdate. Timelock is always $3. | Free. No paid plan listed. |
| 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. | Encrypted in your browser, with the key kept in the link. Its server holds the message back until the time. |
| After it opens | Stays open for 1 hour to 30 days, as you choose. | Deleted 30 days after the unlock date. |
| Deleting it | Basic has a private delete link. A Timelock cannot be deleted by its sender. | No sender delete described. |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese. | English. |
Facts about OpenItLater 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 to send files, such as photos, PDFs or a launch kit, behind the countdown.
- You want the wait enforced by encryption tied to a public network. With Timelock, the key needs a future drand release.
- You may need to cancel. Basic gives you a private delete link.
- You or the people opening it read Spanish, French, German, Portuguese or Japanese.
- You want to choose how long it stays open after the time, from 1 hour to 30 days.
Choose OpenItLater when
- Your message is text only and you want it free at any size or date.
- You want the service never to hold the key. In its link-only flow, the key stays in the link.
- You want email delivery and reminders, and you are happy to sign in for them.
- You want to pick a background and countdown design.
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 OpenItLater read my message?
OpenItLater says its link-only flow encrypts in your browser and keeps the key in the link. Its email delivery and save-to-account options send the key to its server. Postdate Basic holds the key and promises not to read the content; Timelock relies on drand.
Does Postdate cost money where OpenItLater is free?
Postdate Basic is free for messages of 1 MB or less that open within 7 days. Larger files, later dates up to one year and every Timelock cost $3 once per Postdate. OpenItLater lists no paid plan.
Which one keeps files?
Postdate takes up to 10 files, up to 100 MB with the $3 option, encrypted in your browser. OpenItLater has no attachment control on its create form.
Sources
More comparisons
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See all comparisons, how Postdate works or how Timelock works.