# Waffle vs Ember

The clearest difference is monetization model: Waffle at free with in-app purchases against Ember's subscription. Waffle also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (9.9K vs 703). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waffle sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Ember sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Waffle against 4.6 for Ember. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waffle has 9.9K ratings behind it against 703, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Waffle's written reviews are positive against 50% of Ember's.

Waffle ships an update every 4 days, Ember weekly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waffle | Ember |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waffle-shared-journal/id1519726353/reviews) | [4.6 (703 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-for-couples/id6744977130/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.9K** | 703 |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#155** | — |
| Size | 141 MB | 166 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Poppy AI, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441348259) | [Ember Couples Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810271790) |

## What reviewers say

### Waffle

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

**Currently charting:** #155 Top Grossing · Lifestyle (US App Store)

This app facilitates shared journaling for couples, families, and friends to deepen connections. Users can share daily updates, photos, and videos, and answer prompts to get to know each other better. It offers a private space to document memories and strengthen relationships.

**Highlights:** Shared journaling for groups, Photo and video sharing, Daily prompts to foster connection, Customizable journal covers, Private and secure entries, Relationship strengthening tool

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Waffle Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Waffle Monthly Plus | $14.99 | per month |
| Waffle Monthly Plus | $19.99 | per month |
| Waffle Unlimited | $39.99 | per year |
| 1 Plus Journal | $39.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $39.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited Plus | $49.99 | per year |
| 1 Plus Journal | $49.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $59.99 | per year |
| 1 Plus Journal | $74.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $74.99 | per year |
| Waffle Unlimited | $89.99 | per year |
| 2 Plus Journals | $89.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plus Journals | $129.00 | per year |
| 2 Plus Journals | $129.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plus | $199.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Unlimited | $199.99 | one-time |

**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


### Ember

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-for-couples/id6744977130)

This app provides AI-powered coaching to help couples improve communication and connection. It offers tools for analyzing conversations, daily prompts for connection, and research-backed plans for relationship growth. Designed for proactive relationship care.

**Highlights:** AI couples coaching sessions, Real-time argument analysis, Daily conversation prompts, Research-backed relationship plans, Text communication analysis, Relationship style quiz

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Full Access - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Full Access - Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| Full Access - Quarterly | $44.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly | $44.99 | per 3 months |
| Full Access - Quarterly | $54.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access - Yearly | $109.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $154.99 | per year |
| Full Access - Yearly | $167.99 | per year |
| 1 Hour of conversation credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 10 hours of conversation credits | $109.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤖 Helpful AI coach
- 👍 Positive and encouraging feedback
- 💬 Improved communication with difficult contacts
- 🤝 Felt like talking to a friend

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Strict time window for message exchange
- 🚫 Not suitable for busy/entrepreneurial people
- 🤔 Promotes unhealthy attachment styles

**Reported bugs**

- AI coach sometimes fails to understand context
- App can feel repetitive and impersonal

**Requested features**

- Upload feature to share files/images
- More customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waffle free?

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

### Is Ember free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Waffle or Ember?

Waffle and Ember are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9.9K and 703 ratings respectively.

### Do Waffle or Ember have ads?

Ember shows ads; Waffle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Waffle or Ember?

Waffle ships an update every 4 days, and Ember weekly. Most recently, Waffle was updated on September 23, 2026 and Ember on September 23, 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.*