Softly vs Talk Journaling App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Multiple writing styles
- Visual emotional calendar
- Word constellation analysis
- Time capsule feature
- On-device data storage
- Face ID protection
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Softly | Talk Journaling App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +12 |
| Developer | Jean Millan | NextStack LLC |
Customer experience
Softly
Talk Journaling App
In-app purchases
Softly
No in-app purchases
Talk Journaling App
- Talk Diary Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
- Talk Diary Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year









