5 Baby Memory Apps Compared: Which One Is Actually Worth It?

If you're a new parent, you've probably already downloaded (and abandoned) at least a few baby-related apps. Milestone trackers, photo journals, baby books — the App Store is packed with them. But which ones are actually worth keeping?

We took a close look at five popular baby memory apps to help you decide. We compared them across four key categories: ease of use, what they create, pricing, and privacy.

1. 1 Second Everyday

What it does

1 Second Everyday (1SE) is the OG of video diary apps. The concept is simple: record a one-second clip every day, and the app stitches them into a video at the end of the month or year. It was inspired by a popular TED talk and has been around since 2012.

Pros

• Well-established: Large community and years of refinement
• Flexible: Works for anyone, not just parents
• Photo + video: You can mix photos and video clips

Cons

• Daily commitment: One second every single day is a lot harder than it sounds — especially with a newborn
• Not baby-specific: No baby-focused features like face framing or growth tracking
• Pricing: Free tier is limited; premium is $4.99/month ($59.88/year)
• Editing: You still need to curate and trim clips manually

Best for

Parents who want a general-purpose video diary and are committed to a daily recording habit.

2. Growby

What it does

Growby is a baby milestone and memory app focused on photo-based memories. It lets you log milestones (first smile, first steps), take photos with cute stickers, and create digital baby books.

Pros

• Cute design: Well-designed UI with fun stickers and frames
• Milestone tracking: Built-in list of developmental milestones
• Shareable: Easy to share individual moments with family

Cons

• Photo-only: No video capability, so you miss out on movement, voice, and personality
• No timelapse: It's a scrapbook, not a growth visualization
• Subscription required: Many features locked behind a paywall

Best for

Parents who love digital scrapbooking and want a photo-first milestone tracker.

3. FaceLapse

What it does

FaceLapse is specifically designed for face timelapses. It uses face detection to help you align your face (or your baby's face) in the same position each time, then creates a timelapse video from the collected photos.

Pros

• Face alignment: Overlay guides help you position the face consistently
• Purpose-built: Designed specifically for face timelapses
• Simple: Minimal interface, easy to use

Cons

• Photos only: Uses photos, not video — so the timelapse is a slideshow, not a moving video
• No reminders: You have to remember on your own
• Limited features: No milestone tracking, no sharing features, no multi-child support
• Dated UI: The app hasn't been updated in a while

Best for

Users who want a simple, photo-based face timelapse with manual alignment.

4. Baby+ (formerly Baby Center)

What it does

Baby+ is a comprehensive parenting app that covers everything from pregnancy tracking to toddler development. It includes a memory feature where you can save photos and milestones, plus developmental articles and guides.

Pros

• All-in-one: Pregnancy tracking, developmental info, feeding logs, and memories in one app
• Expert content: Articles and guides from pediatricians and child development experts
• Community: Forums where you can connect with other parents

Cons

• Jack of all trades: The memory/photo feature is an afterthought — not the core product
• No video timelapse: No growth visualization at all
• Cluttered: So many features that finding what you need takes time
• Privacy concerns: Collects significant personal data and shows ads on the free tier

Best for

Parents who want a Swiss Army knife parenting app and don't mind a cluttered experience.

5. lil leaps

What it does

lil leaps is purpose-built for one thing: creating a baby growth timelapse video. Once a week, you record a 5-second clip — each one gets condensed to one second in the final timelapse. The app sends reminders, helps frame your baby's face, and automatically stitches the clips into a smooth growth timelapse that you can watch or share anytime.

Pros

• Easiest commitment: Just 5 seconds per week — the lowest friction of any app on this list
• Video, not photos: Captures movement, voice, personality — things photos miss entirely
• Automatic timelapse: No editing required — the app stitches everything together for you
• Weekly reminders: Push notifications so you never forget a week
• Multi-child support: Track multiple kids separately
• Private by design: Videos stored in iCloud, no data collection, no ads
• Affordable: Free for 1 month, then $9.99/year

Cons

• iOS only: Currently available only on iPhone
• Video only: Focused on timelapse videos — not a general milestone tracker or baby book
• Newer app: Smaller community compared to established apps

Best for

Parents who want the easiest possible way to create a baby growth timelapse video without any editing or daily commitment.

The Comparison at a Glance

Our Take

Every app on this list has its strengths, and the best one for you depends on what you're looking for. If you want an all-in-one parenting hub, Baby+ covers a lot. If you're a scrapbook person, Growby is well-designed.

But if your goal is specifically to create a baby growth timelapse video — the kind you see go viral online — without spending hours editing or remembering to film every single day, lil leaps is built exactly for that.

The weekly cadence is the sweet spot. Daily is too much (most parents burn out within a month). Monthly is too infrequent (you miss so much change). Weekly captures the growth beautifully while being realistic for busy parents.

5 seconds a week. No editing. A timelapse video that builds itself. That's the pitch — and it actually delivers.

At $9.99 per year (with a free first month), it's also the most affordable option by a wide margin. And the privacy-first approach — iCloud storage, no ads, no data collection — is refreshing in a category where many apps monetize your family's data.