# The Soft App vs Protocol

The clearest difference is ads: Protocol at none against The Soft App's shown. Protocol also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). The Soft App's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Soft App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month and Protocol sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Soft App ships an update every 9 days, Protocol every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Soft App | Protocol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-soft-app/id6448398671/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **71** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 87 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Brittney-Elizabeth Williams](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684578048) | [Karthikeyan Sivamani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894520654) |

## What reviewers say

### The Soft App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-soft-app/id6448398671)

This app fosters an intentional community for neurodivergent individuals who value empathy and introspection. It offers group chats, one-on-one messaging, and courses on boundary setting, income generation, and burnout recovery. Users can also access neural exercises and daily icebreakers to deepen self-connection and relationships.

**Highlights:** Group chat rooms, 1-on-1 text and voice messaging, Boundary setting course, Blissful income generation course, Weekly unmasking missions, Burnout recovery course, Neural exercises for nervous system regulation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.00 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $10.00 | per month |
| Subscription | $10.00 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Safe space for ND individuals
- 🤝 Authentic community connection
- ✨ Feeling seen and heard
- 😌 Comforting and freeing atmosphere
- 💡 Useful regulation tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 High cost of subscription
- 🚫 Limited free version functionality
- 💰 App feels like a money grab
- 🧐 Concerns about ableist views
- 👥 Not inclusive of all ND conditions

**Reported bugs**

- Inaccessible color scheme
- Notification issues

**Requested features**

- More inclusive support for comorbidities
- Open discussion on intersections of disorders
- Toggle between light and dark mode
- Increased number of members/engagement
- Improved notification system


### Protocol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protocol-the-season/id6762522513)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Protocol Premium - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Protocol Premium – Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Soft App free?

The Soft App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Protocol free?

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

### Do The Soft App or Protocol have ads?

The Soft App shows ads; Protocol does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Soft App or Protocol?

The Soft App ships an update every 9 days, and Protocol every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Soft App was updated on October 24, 2026 and Protocol 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.*