Comparison

Monologue vs Lifely

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

Head to head
About

Monologue

This journaling app offers a unique, text-message-like interface for recording thoughts. Organize entries into stories, reply to past thoughts, and privately save notes from any app. Your journal remains secure and accessible only on your device.

Highlights
  • Text-message style journaling
  • Organize entries into stories
  • Reply to older entries
  • Share extension for web comments
  • Private and device-only storage
Features
Read full description

Monologue is a new kind of journaling app that's as easy as texting. Just type and send, and your entries will be grouped by time, like your texting app. You can also group your entries into stories, and reply to your older entries. + Journal like you're texting. + Reply to older entries. + Organize your entries into stories. + Comment on webpages in Safari via the iOS Share extension. Works in any other app that supports sharing a URL, like Yelp, Foursquare, Google Maps, etc. + All entries are private and never leaves your phone.

About

Lifely

This app helps you record life's important moments, achievements, and memories in a chronological timeline. It offers secure data encryption and synchronization, allowing you to easily navigate and revisit past events.

Highlights
  • Chronological timeline of memories
  • Secure data encryption
  • Server synchronization
  • Event tracking by category
  • Zoom and scroll navigation
  • Password protection
Features
Read full description

Your whole life on one timeline. Lifely is a personal diary and journal for everyday memories and the moments that change your story. Keep the same diary on your phone and in your browser. Write about today, add a memory from years ago, or record a milestone you want to look back on. Give each event a date and keep your thoughts, the people involved and the details together. SEE YOUR LIFE AT EVERY SCALE Zoom out to see years and decades, then zoom in to a single day. Follow the connections between everyday entries, important events and the different chapters of your life. The life calendar gives you another view of your years and weeks. On your phone, swipe to scroll through your timeline and pinch to change its scale. GIVE MEMORIES THEIR CONTEXT Add photos, a place, a mood or a song to an event. Keep a travel memory, a family celebration or an ordinary afternoon with someone you love. A short note can hold the details you would otherwise forget. FIND THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER Organize your diary with tags, people, life periods and importance levels. Revisit your time at school, the years in a particular city or the memories you share with one person. Search your entries when you want to find a specific moment. RETURN TO YOUR STORY Rediscover past events through memories, look back at how your life has unfolded and share selected moments as designed cards. Write as much or as little as you want, whenever you have something to remember. YOUR DIARY ON YOUR PHONE AND IN YOUR BROWSER Open your online diary in a browser with the same account you use on your phone. Your entries sync when you are connected. On your phone, write entries offline and sync when you reconnect. Protect access to the app with a passcode or biometric unlock on a supported device. Lifely includes ads and in-app purchases. Photo attachments and some organization features are part of Premium. Start with one moment that matters to you. Let the next entries become part of your life story. Terms of Use: https://sheep-apps.com/lifely/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://sheep-apps.com/lifely/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Monologue4 screens
Lifely4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Monologue at 95% against Lifely's 33%. Monologue also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (66 vs 6). Lifely's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Monologue sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Lifely sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Monologue holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monologue has 66 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Monologue's written reviews are positive against 33% of Lifely's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monologue ships an update every 3 months, Lifely fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Monologue versus Lifely: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonologueLifely
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (66 ratings) — better3.8 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews95.2% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings66 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMinima SoftwareSheep Apps Inc

Customer experience

Monologue

All ratings66 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.8%

Lifely

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Monologue

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99
2 purchases

Lifely

Subscriptions2
  • Full access for 1 month$4.991 Month
  • Full access for 1 year3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Monologue free?
Monologue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lifely free?
Lifely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Monologue or Lifely?
Monologue is rated higher. Monologue averages 4.8 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Lifely averages 3.8 from 6 ratings.
Do Monologue or Lifely have ads?
Neither Monologue nor Lifely shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monologue or Lifely?
Monologue ships an update every 3 months, and Lifely fortnightly. Most recently, Monologue was updated on October 21, 2026 and Lifely on October 15, 2026.

Other comparisons