Comparison

Void Journal vs Softly

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

Head to head
About

Void Journal

Features
Read full description

Enter the Void. Void Journal is a gothic, atmospheric journal designed for shadow work and the quiet hours. A private sanctuary to face the thoughts, triggers, and unspoken truths you hide from the daylight. MEET THE SHADOW - The Shadow Path: guided nightly prompts that help you explore repressed emotions, recurring patterns, and self-acceptance. - Vintage Writing Canvas: write with digital ink on hand-crafted parchment textures, or switch to dark minimalist mode. - Ghostly Whispers: reflect deeply with responsive prompts that invite you to look beneath the surface. ATMOSPHERIC & PRIVATE - Leather-Bound Journals: organize reflections into distinct volumes (Secrets, Letters Never Sent, Dream Archive, Triggers). - PIN Vault: protect your deepest thoughts behind a private 4-digit lock. - Rare Gothic Stationery: personalize your ritual with unlockable quills, inks, and paper textures. - Zero Judgment, Zero Tracking: your entries stay completely private and encrypted on your device. THE ARCHIVIST (OPTIONAL) Void Journal is free to download and use indefinitely. Upgrade to The Archivist for unlimited shadow work paths, complete stationery vault access, and cloud sync. Privacy Policy: https://principlesocials.com/legal/privacy Terms of Use: https://principlesocials.com/legal/terms Support: https://voidjournal.web.app/en

About

Softly

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
Read full description

Softly is a private journal for your days. No achievements. No streaks. No productivity metrics. Just you, a word when you want one, and a space that comes back every night to receive you the way you arrived. WRITE HOWEVER FEELS RIGHT Free diary, gratitude in three lines, a mood with a tap of a moon, or an affirmation when you need to hear it. Four ways to leave the day without losing it. YOUR MONTH IN WATERCOLOR Each day lights up with the color of how you felt. A hand-painted emotional calendar — not a bar chart. YOUR CONSTELLATION OF WORDS The words that return most to your writing appear as a constellation that shifts with you. You see patterns without anyone interpreting them for you. TIME CAPSULES Seal a piece of writing today (AES-GCM encrypted). Open it in a month, a year — whenever you're ready to listen to yourself again. TOTAL PRIVACY Everything lives on your device. On-device speech recognition. Face ID for your space. No tracking, no accounts, no server watching. WATERCOLORS THAT BREATHE Each time you return, a new variant of a sprig, flower, or lavender greets you. The notebook changes with you. Softly is for the days you want to write — and for the days you only wanted to open the app. Here, both count.

Screenshots

Void Journal4 screens
Softly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Softly at none against Void Journal's 6. Softly also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks). Void Journal's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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. Void Journal sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Softly asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Void Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, Softly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Void Journal versus Softly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVoid JournalSoftly
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperERIK GARAJJean Millan

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Void Journal

Subscriptions2
  • The Archivist's Oath3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Void Journal Pro3 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time4
  • Small Vial$0.99
  • Ink Bottle$2.99
  • Master's Inkwell$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Void Journal Pro$44.99
None

Softly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Void Journal free?
Void Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Softly free?
Softly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Void Journal or Softly have ads?
Neither Void Journal nor Softly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Void Journal or Softly?
Void Journal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Softly every 3 days. Most recently, Void Journal was updated on October 28, 2026 and Softly on October 24, 2026.

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