Dumpling vs Dearly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dumpling
Share spontaneous moments with your partner directly on your lock screen or Dynamic Island. Send notes, emojis, and doodles instantly without needing to unlock your phone. Designed for couples seeking a private, always-on connection.
- Lock screen message display
- Dynamic Island support
- Private and secure sharing
- Instant pairing
- Always-on live activity
- Send emojis, doodles, and notes
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Love, without unlocking your phone. Dumpling helps couples stay close through small, meaningful moments that appear instantly on your lock screen and Dynamic Island. Send sweet notes, emojis, doodles, or heartfelt love messages — and your partner sees them the moment they arrive. No unlocking, no feeds, no distractions. Just the two of you. Designed for couples who want a private, always-on connection — whether you’re long-distance, busy, or simply love sharing spontaneous “thinking of you” moments. Key Features • Lock Screen Moments – Messages appear instantly, no unlocking needed • Dynamic Island Support – Live moments on iPhone 14 Pro and newer • Private & Secure – Only you and your partner can see what’s shared • Instant Pairing – Connect in seconds with a simple 6-digit code • Always On – Live Activity keeps your connection visible all day • More Than Text – Send emojis, doodles, short notes, or love letters Perfect For • Long-distance relationships • Daily “I love you” reminders • Valentine’s Day surprises • Quick emoji check-ins • Anniversaries & just-because moments How It Works 1. Share your unique 6-digit code 2. Enable Live Activity 3. Send something sweet 4. Stay connected — at a glance Dumpling — your partner, one glance away. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Dearly
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Dearly is for the person you think about when your phone is face-down. Not another group chat. Not another feed. Just the two of you : little notes, doodles, photos, and moods that show up on each other’s home screen. Write something short. Draw something dumb. Send a photo from right where you are. Your person gets a push, and the latest dearly stays on their widget until the next one arrives. What you can do • Send text, photos, doodles, and moods • Keep a home screen and lock screen widget that always shows the latest note • See how far apart you are (when you both turn location sharing on) • Compose on paper textures with extra pens (Dearly Pro) Dearly Pro One subscription unlocks Compose, paper textures, and extra pens for both of you. Soft paywall — try the free stuff first. Privacy Your dearlys stay between you two. You can delete your account anytime in Profile. (Privacy policy: https://dearlyapp.framer.website/privacy, Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dearly at none against Dumpling's 4. Dearly also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Dumpling sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Dearly asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dumpling ships an update every 6 weeks, Dearly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dumpling | Dearly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Christopher Hefferman | Ethan Dietrich |
In-app purchases
Dumpling
- Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Dumpling Limited Time Offer$19.991 Year
- Yearly$29.991 Year
- One Off Payment$34.99
Dearly
No in-app purchases









