Comparison

Koe vs Bondsai

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

Head to head
About

Koe

This app allows you to quickly record your thoughts and see them transcribed in real-time. Entries are automatically organized by date and can be titled and shared. It's a lightweight tool for capturing ideas without needing an account or subscription.

Highlights
  • One-tap recording
  • Live transcription
  • Automatic daily organization
  • Optional note titles
  • Shareable transcripts
  • Cross-device recording (iPhone/Apple Watch)
Features
Read full description

Koe is a voice-first journal for capturing thoughts before they disappear. Speak and watch your words turn into a live transcript, add a quick title if you want, and save everything into a clean daily log you can browse later. Unlike traditional voice memo apps, Koe treats the transcript as the product - not the audio file. With Koe you can: - Start recording in one tap - See a live transcript as you speak - Keep entries organized automatically by day - Add an optional title to each note - Share transcripts anywhere - Record from iPhone or Apple Watch No account. No subscription. No built-in AI. Just a fast, lightweight way to get thoughts out of your head and into a readable journal. Your entries stay local to your device.

About

Bondsai

Features
Read full description

Someone tells you they're starting a new role, moving away, or going through a rough month. You mean to ask how it goes. Then a few busy weeks pass, and the next catch-up starts over from "so, what's new?" Bondsai is a private relationship journal for exactly those moments. Save the few things you don't want to lose. Bondsai keeps them with the person and brings them back on the rhythm you choose, so you can follow through and pick up where you left off. EVERYTHING STAYS ON YOUR PHONE Bondsai is local-first by design. Your people and notes live on your device. Nothing is uploaded to our servers, because we don't have any. No account, no tracking, no AI reading your life. Backups go straight to your own iCloud. SAVE WHAT MATTERS, IN SECONDS • A note in your own words, kept with the person it belongs to. • The question you want to ask next time, saved as a follow-up. • Birthdays and important dates. • The details a good friend holds onto: family, pets, how you met, what's going on right now. IT COMES BACK WHEN IT COUNTS • Follow-ups return on the date you choose. • "This season" shows what's coming up before it passes. • Gentle reconnect rhythms for each person, set by you. A quiet chance to say hello. • A timeline for each person, so every catch-up can continue from the last one. CALM ON PURPOSE • No streaks, no scores, no red badges. Bondsai doesn't grade your friendships. • You decide who to add, what to save, and when to reach out. • Import from your phone's contacts once if you like. Bondsai reads them a single time and never syncs. • Your data is portable: export and import anytime. Bondsai is a quiet place to keep the threads between conversations, so your actions can reflect the care you already feel.

Screenshots

Koe4 screens
Bondsai4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Koe at none against Bondsai's 1. Bondsai's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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. Bondsai sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Koe asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Koe ships an update every 4 weeks, Bondsai weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Koe versus Bondsai: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKoeBondsai
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRodolfo Alberto Lopez TerriquezYong Hui Kevin Yu

In-app purchases

None

Koe

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bondsai

One-time1
  • Bondsai Pro$12.99

Questions

Is Koe free?
Koe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bondsai free?
Bondsai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Koe or Bondsai have ads?
Neither Koe nor Bondsai shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Koe or Bondsai?
Koe ships an update every 4 weeks, and Bondsai weekly. Most recently, Koe was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bondsai on November 5, 2026.

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