# Hermes Journal vs Softly

The clearest difference is update cadence: Softly at every 3 days against Hermes Journal's every 5 months. Hermes Journal's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hermes Journal ships an update every 5 months, Softly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hermes Journal | Softly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softly-private-journal/id6770157963/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 27 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shaquille Hinds](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667949088) | [Jean Millan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890519536) |

## What reviewers say

### Hermes Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hermes-journal/id6743308416)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Softly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softly-private-journal/id6770157963)

A private journaling app focused on reflection and emotional well-being. It offers multiple writing styles, a visual emotional calendar, and word pattern analysis. All data is stored locally for complete privacy.

**Highlights:** Multiple writing styles, Visual emotional calendar, Word constellation analysis, Time capsule feature, On-device data storage, Face ID protection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hermes Journal free?

Hermes Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Softly free?

Softly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Hermes Journal or Softly have ads?

Neither Hermes Journal nor Softly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hermes Journal or Softly?

Hermes Journal ships an update every 5 months, and Softly every 3 days. Most recently, Hermes Journal was updated on October 25, 2026 and Softly on October 24, 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.*