Comparison

Softly vs Talk Journaling App

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

Head to head
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.

About

Talk Journaling App

This app allows you to create a private journal by speaking your thoughts, which are then automatically transcribed. You can also type entries, tag your mood, and review past entries on a calendar. It's designed for personal reflection and building a journaling habit.

Highlights
  • Voice-first journaling with live transcription
  • Optional typing for entries
  • Mood tagging
  • Daily habit building with streaks
  • Calendar view for past entries
  • Adjustable playback speed for recordings
Features
Read full description

Talk Journal turns your spoken thoughts into a private, written journal, no typing required. Open the app, tap the mic, and say whatever's on your mind. Talk transcribes it automatically, so you end up with a real diary entry without ever picking up a pen. WHY TALK • Voice-first journaling, record up to 5 minutes per entry, with live transcription as you speak • Prefer typing? Just write instead • Tag your mood with a tap • Build a daily habit with streaks and gentle reminders • Browse your past entries on a simple calendar view • Play back any recording, with adjustable speed PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your entries are yours. Delete anything you want. Talk is a personal journaling tool for reflection. It is not a substitute for therapy or professional mental health care. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/nextstack.org/journaligappprivacypolicy/home Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/nextstack.org/talk-journaling-app-terms/home

Screenshots

Softly4 screens
Talk Journaling App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Softly at 5.0 against Talk Journaling App's 3.0. Softly also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. Talk Journaling App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Softly asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Softly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Softly ships an update every 3 days, Talk Journaling App every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Softly versus Talk Journaling App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoftlyTalk Journaling App
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB73 MB
Age rating4++12
DeveloperJean MillanNextStack LLC

Customer experience

Softly

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Talk Journaling App

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Softly

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Talk Journaling App

Subscriptions2
  • Talk Diary Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Talk Diary Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Softly free?
Softly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Talk Journaling App free?
Talk Journaling App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Softly or Talk Journaling App?
Softly is rated higher. Softly averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Talk Journaling App averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Softly or Talk Journaling App have ads?
Neither Softly nor Talk Journaling App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Softly or Talk Journaling App?
Softly ships an update every 3 days, and Talk Journaling App every 4 weeks. Most recently, Softly was updated on October 24, 2026 and Talk Journaling App on October 29, 2026.

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