# Waffle vs Open Up

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Open Up at 100% against Waffle's 45%. Open Up also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Waffle's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waffle sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Open Up sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Open Up holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waffle has 11K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Waffle's written reviews are positive against 100% of Open Up's.

Waffle ships an update weekly, Open Up every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waffle | Open Up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waffle-shared-journal/id1519726353/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-up-ritual/id6759613396/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#118** | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Poppy AI, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441348259) | [maurice calvert](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871600700) |

## What reviewers say

### Waffle

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

**Currently charting:** #118 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 (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


### Open Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-up-ritual/id6759613396)

This app facilitates deep, meaningful conversations through guided prompts and personalized flows. It helps users connect on a deeper level by creating space for thoughtful dialogue and emotional clarity. Transform everyday interactions into meaningful rituals.

**Highlights:** Guided conversation experience, Personalized conversation flows, Choose conversation tone, Focus on emotional clarity, Clean, calming interface, Transforms conversations into rituals

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open Up Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Open Up Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waffle free?

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

### Is Open Up free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Waffle or Open Up?

Open Up is rated higher. Waffle averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Open Up averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Waffle or Open Up have ads?

Neither Waffle nor Open Up shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Waffle or Open Up?

Waffle ships an update weekly, and Open Up every 2 weeks. Most recently, Waffle was updated on November 3, 2026 and Open Up on October 25, 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.*