# SimpleBackgrounds vs Softly

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Softly at none against SimpleBackgrounds's 1. Softly also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks). SimpleBackgrounds's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SimpleBackgrounds sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Softly asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SimpleBackgrounds against 5.0 for Softly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

SimpleBackgrounds ships an update every 4 weeks, Softly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SimpleBackgrounds | Softly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplebackgrounds/id1437742144/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softly-private-journal/id6770157963/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Richard Walker](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016056619) | [Jean Millan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890519536) |

## What reviewers say

### SimpleBackgrounds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplebackgrounds/id1437742144)

Discover a collection of 48 beautiful, flat-colored backgrounds designed to give your phone a clean and simplistic look. Save wallpapers perfectly sized for your device, with more colors and features planned for future updates.

**Highlights:** 48 flat (matte) colors, Normal and darker color versions, Device-dimensioned saves, Feedback option, Future custom color option, Future Apple Watch app

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SimpleBackgrounds Pro Features | $0.99 | one-time |


### Softly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softly-private-journal/id6770157963)

A private journaling app focused on reflection and emotional well-being. It offers multiple writing styles, a visual emotional calendar, and word pattern analysis. All data is stored locally for complete privacy.

**Highlights:** Multiple writing styles, Visual emotional calendar, Word constellation analysis, Time capsule feature, On-device data storage, Face ID protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SimpleBackgrounds free?

SimpleBackgrounds is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Softly free?

Softly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SimpleBackgrounds or Softly?

SimpleBackgrounds and Softly are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do SimpleBackgrounds or Softly have ads?

Neither SimpleBackgrounds nor Softly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SimpleBackgrounds or Softly?

SimpleBackgrounds ships an update every 4 weeks, and Softly every 3 days. Most recently, SimpleBackgrounds was updated on October 8, 2026 and Softly on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*