# Waffle vs Parental Control BrightCanary

The clearest difference is ads: Waffle at none against Parental Control BrightCanary's shown. Waffle also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waffle sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Parental Control BrightCanary sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Waffle holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waffle has 11K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Waffle's written reviews are positive against 51% of Parental Control BrightCanary's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waffle | Parental Control BrightCanary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waffle-shared-journal/id1519726353/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parental-control-brightcanary/id1634119476/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **51.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #132 | **#101** |
| Size | 140 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Poppy AI, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441348259) | [Tacita, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617711733) |

## What reviewers say

### Waffle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waffle-shared-journal/id1519726353)

**Currently charting:** #132 Top Grossing · Lifestyle (US App Store)

This app facilitates connection and deeper understanding between partners, family, and friends through shared daily journaling. It offers prompts, photo/video sharing, and aesthetic journal covers to strengthen relationships and create lasting memories.

**Highlights:** Shared daily journaling, Daily prompts for connection, Photo and video sharing, Aesthetic journal covers, Group journaling, Relationship strengthening

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Waffle Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Waffle Monthly Plus | $14.99 | per month |
| 1 Plus Journal | $39.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $39.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited Plus | $49.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $59.99 | per year |
| 1 Plus Journal | $74.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plus Journals | $129.00 | per year |
| 2 Plus Journals | $129.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plus | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤗 Excellent for shared journaling with friends/family
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive user interface
- 🤝 Helps strengthen long-distance relationships
- 📝 Convenient way to record daily thoughts and memories
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for family/group journaling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overly expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Lack of privacy/control over shared journals
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- 🗓️ Inability to backdate journal entries
- 📢 Lack of notification/comment features for shared journals

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to open old journal entries
- Issues with uploading and viewing photos/videos
- Inability to create new journals or add collaborators

**Requested features**

- Add ability to comment on journal entries
- Implement a more flexible pricing structure (e.g., monthly option)
- Allow customization of journal covers and layouts
- Improve stability and fix reported bugs
- Add time zone support for shared journals


### Parental Control BrightCanary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parental-control-brightcanary/id1634119476)

**Currently charting:** #101 Top Grossing · Lifestyle (US App Store)

This app monitors your child's online activity across various platforms, including games and social media. It provides alerts for concerning content and offers insights into their digital well-being. An AI parenting coach offers guidance on discussing sensitive topics with your child.

**Highlights:** Monitors Roblox, Snapchat, Discord, and more, Alerts for bullying and explicit content, Supervises YouTube and Google searches, AI parenting coach for guidance, Real-time updates and summaries, Encrypted and secure data

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrightCanary Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| BrightCanary Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| BrightCanary Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Text Message Plus Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Text Message Plus Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| BrightCanary Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| BrightCanary Yearly | $64.99 | per year |
| Protection Plan Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Text Message Plus Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Text Message Plus Yearly | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Powerful monitoring capabilities
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 💡 Helpful AI-generated summaries
- 🙌 Great customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and reliability issues
- 🔍 Limited visibility into some app/platform activity
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🕰️ Slow message syncing and loading

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections and login issues
- Inaccurate or incomplete message/activity tracking
- Compatibility problems with certain devices/OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for more social media/messaging platforms
- Improve real-time monitoring and alerts
- Provide more granular parental controls
- Enhance user interface and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waffle free?

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

### Is Parental Control BrightCanary free?

Parental Control BrightCanary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Waffle or Parental Control BrightCanary?

Waffle is rated higher. Waffle averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Parental Control BrightCanary averages 4.4 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Waffle or Parental Control BrightCanary have ads?

Parental Control BrightCanary shows ads; Waffle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Waffle or Parental Control BrightCanary?

Waffle ships an update weekly, and Parental Control BrightCanary weekly. Most recently, Waffle was updated on November 12, 2026 and Parental Control BrightCanary on November 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Waffle or Parental Control BrightCanary?

Waffle currently peaks at #132 in the App Store charts, and Parental Control BrightCanary at #101. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*