Comparison

Basic Logs vs Dictly

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Basic Logs

Read full description

Basic Logs makes it quick and easy to track anything of interest to you. From food diaries to habit streaks to budgeting to time spent on activities. Simply create a log, add entries, and get insights with just a few taps. • Text, numbers, currencies, durations, notes, tags, flags. Use one or all of them. No setup required. • Browse entries in a list, visualize them in a calendar, or analyze them with charts and statistics. • Track hours and minutes, or whole days. • Flag entries of significance, tag entries to categorize them. • Add similar entries again with a quick swipe. • Easily search and filter entries and get all information of a particular moment. • Shortcuts! Automatically add an entry whenever you arrive at a location, tap an NFC tag, or complete a task in another app. The possibilities are endless. • Share logs and collaborate with friends and family. • No account creation. All data is stored locally on your device and, optionally, in your iCloud. And this is just the beginning. Basic Logs will only become richer in functionality while remaining simple and easy to use. I hope you’ll get as much joy and use out of this app as I do every single day. Happy logging!

About

Dictly

This app converts your voice into styled text locally on your device, offering instant, private, and offline dictation. Create custom text formats and manage specialized vocabularies for efficient note-taking and idea capture.

Highlights
  • Real-time on-device transcription
  • Offline dictation
  • Custom text formatting (Workflows)
  • Multi-language support
  • Customizable dictionary
  • History and search functionality
  • Share and export options
Read full description

Dictly turns your voice into clean, styled text — entirely on-device. Capture ideas, notes, or lists the moment they come to mind. Works in any situation — no cloud, no telemetry, no connection required. WHY DICTLY • Private by design — everything happens locally on your iPhone or iPad. • Instant feel — sub-100 ms first words with live preview and continuous updates. • Styled as you speak — create Workflows that format text for messages, notes, or to-dos. • Offline capable — works anywhere, even in airplane mode. CORE FEATURES • Real-time on-device transcription with contextual correction. • Multi-language dictation — choose the language you speak in. • Simple, focused recording interface for quick capture. • Workflows — transform your text automatically into structured formats. • Dictionary — add custom words and phrases for better recognition. • History and Search — browse and reuse past transcriptions. • Share and Export — copy, send to Notes or Files, or use the Share Sheet. PRO FEATURES • Unlimited Workflows — define prompts, styles, and variables to format your output. • Unlimited Dictionaries — manage specialized vocabularies for different projects. • Full History Access — see all your transcriptions. • Advanced Sharing — export to multiple destinations. PRIVACY Dictly runs 100 percent on-device. No servers. No analytics. No background uploads. Your words never leave your iPhone or iPad unless you share them. WORKS ANYWHERE Dictly is built for mobility — capture thoughts instantly, even without signal. Perfect for journaling, note-taking, task lists, or dictating ideas on the go. PRICING Free Core provides complete offline dictation with light limits. Dictly Pro unlocks unlimited Workflows, Dictionaries, and Sharing. Dictly makes typing optional — and your voice powerful. Private. Instant. Offline. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Basic Logs4 screens
Dictly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Basic Logs at none against Dictly's 1. Basic Logs also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Dictly's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dictly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Basic Logs asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Basic Logs ships an update every 2 months, Dictly every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Basic Logs versus Dictly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic LogsDictly
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAllan JuenemannJannik Jung

In-app purchases

None

Basic Logs

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dictly

One-time1
  • Dictly Pro - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Basic Logs free?
Basic Logs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dictly free?
Dictly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Basic Logs or Dictly have ads?
Neither Basic Logs nor Dictly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Basic Logs or Dictly?
Basic Logs ships an update every 2 months, and Dictly every 4 weeks. Most recently, Basic Logs was updated on September 14, 2026 and Dictly on August 14, 2026.

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