Reflection vs Waffle

Reflection

• People who want follow-up questions from an AI coach as they write
• Journaling by voice, including spoken back-and-forth conversations
• Following guided programs on gratitude, anxiety or relationships

Waffle

• Couples, including long-distance ones, who want a shared daily check-in
• Families and friend groups who like answering a question together
• Therapy clients sharing day-to-day notes with a therapist between sessions

Reflection

• The free plan allows one photo per entry and limited syncing; multiple photos, rich text, PDF export and unlimited cross-device sync need Premium.
• Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit, not end-to-end, and the AI features are powered by Google Gemini.
• Voice Call is listed for iPhone, iPad and Android only, not for the Mac or web apps.
• No Windows or Linux app is listed; on those systems the journal is used in a browser.

Waffle

• Phone only: the FAQ says laptops are not supported, and the App Store listing is for iPhone.
• The free plan has no photos, video, voice notes, comments, read receipts, search or PDF export.
• A journal's creator cannot remove a member; the FAQ says members have to leave on their own.
• Plus prices are not on the website. The App Store lists ten purchases, and only the weekly and monthly ones name a billing period.

Reflection

AI Coach

While you journal, the coach asks a follow-up question based on the entry you just wrote. All AI features can be turned off with a single toggle while the rest of the app keeps working.

Voice Call and voice journaling

Speak an entry and have it transcribed, or start a Voice Call for a spoken back-and-forth that is saved to the journal as a transcript. Voice Call runs on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Ask Your Journal

Ask about patterns, people or how you felt at a given time, and the app searches your history and answers in plain language. Unlimited AI search and insights are part of Premium.

Guided Journeys and templates

More than 100 guided programs from wellness and personal growth experts lead you one prompt at a time, and templates give structure for gratitude, goals and reviews.

Reviews and insights

Weekly, monthly and annual reviews recap what you wrote, and an Insights page charts sentiment, emotions and life domains across a chosen time range.

Privacy, export and MCP

Entries are encrypted at rest and in transit and are not used to train AI models. You can export to PDF, JSON or CSV, and Premium includes a beta MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.

Waffle

Shared journals

A journal is shared through an invite code, and every member writes entries the others can read. There is no limit on journals or members, and a journal can also be kept solo.

Daily Waffle questions

Each journal gets a daily question from decks matched to its preset, such as Partner, Family members or Friends. Basic decks are free and personalized decks need Plus.

Waffle AI prompts

Waffle AI uses a journal's relationship type and its entries to suggest more personal prompts. An 'AI Questions Only' mode is part of Plus.

Photos, video and voice notes

Entries can carry photos, a video or a recorded voice note. All three attachment types are locked on the free plan and included in Waffle Plus.

Comments and read receipts

Plus journals let members comment on each other's entries and see who has read an entry. Neither is available on the free plan.

Search and PDF export

Plus adds search across entries and export of a journal as a printable PDF. Journal settings also include a local backup option on the device.

Reflection

• Free Forever$0

  Unlimited private entries, prompts, reminders, search, guided monthly and annual reviews, import and export, one photo per entry and limited syncing.

• Premium (monthly)$8

  per month

  Unlimited AI-enhanced search and insights, AI writing support, unlimited cross-device sync, custom templates and tags, multiple photos, rich text and PDF export.

• Premium (yearly)$5.75

  per month, billed annually ($69 per year)

  The same Premium features on yearly billing, shown with the $8 monthly price crossed out and a Save 30% label.

Waffle

• Free$0

  Unlimited journals, entries and members, with basic journal covers and basic question decks.

• Waffle Plus$9.99 to $199.99

  billing period not shown for most App Store purchases

  Photos, video, voice notes, comments, search and PDF export. The US App Store lists Waffle Weekly at $9.99, Waffle Monthly Plus at $14.99 and others from $39.99 to $199.99.

Reflection

• Annual discount

  Save 30% with yearly billing

  Reflection's Premium page lists $8 a month on monthly billing or $5.75 a month billed annually, labelled as a 30% saving. The US App Store lists the annual plan at $69.00.

• Lifetime license

  Premium (Lifetime) for a one-time $249.99

  The US App Store lists a Premium (Lifetime) in-app purchase at $249.99 as an alternative to the monthly and annual subscriptions.

Waffle

• Other savings

  One subscription upgrades the whole journal

  Only one member of a journal needs Waffle Plus for everyone in that journal to get the Plus features, according to the FAQ.

• Other savings

  Discounts for licensed therapists

  The FAQ says Waffle offers discounts to licensed therapists who use the app with clients. The terms are given on request.

• Other savings

  Bulk discounts for teams

  The FAQ says discounts are available for bulk purchases by companies and organizations. Pricing is given on request.