Alternatives › Dear
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Ciao! vs Dear
Dear: Remind Me to Reach Out, by Elsewhere Index LLC
Each day Dear suggests one person to reach out to, with a nudge written in a voice you pick, from Nonna to Sherlock.
21 ratings in the US App Store, all five stars, as of 15 October 2026. iPhone, iPad and Android. Released in April 2026, last updated on 2 October 2026.
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Ciao!
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Dear
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| What it costs | $9.99 a year after 7 days free, or $2.99 a week |
Free for up to 15 people. Dear+ is about $2.99 a month in the US, its site says, or a one-time purchase |
| Free tier | None. The yearly plan starts with 7 days free | 15 people |
| Account needed | None | None |
| Where it runs | iPhone | iPhone, iPad and Android |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | Your phone. Its listing says nothing about your people is uploaded |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | No. A circle with everyone, and 15 voices for the nudges |
| How it reminds you | A note on the evening someone is due, never more than one a day, and a look on Sunday at everyone who is due | A nudge every day, with one person to reach out to |
| Birthdays | A note that morning, and they come first in the deck | Not mentioned in its listing |
| Languages | English, Italian, Spanish, French and German | English and 31 more |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No |
Every row comes from Dear’s own App Store listing and its website, read on 15 October 2026. Ciao!’s prices were checked the same day. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: Dear on the App Store · Dear’s website
Where Dear wins
- •Fifteen people free, for as long as you like. Ciao! has no free tier.
- •English and 31 more languages, and it runs on iPad and Android too. Ciao! is iPhone only, in five languages.
- •Fifteen voices for the nudges, from Nonna to Sherlock, if you want the reminder to sound like someone.
Where Ciao! wins
- •One look a week. On Sunday you get a deck with everyone who is due, and you swipe through it. Dear gives you one person each day.
- •An animal for each friend, with a face that shows how long it has been since you talked.
- •Notes and a timeline for each friend, a note on their birthday morning, and WhatsApp, Message and Call buttons. Dear’s listing does not mention birthdays.
- •Your friends are in your own iCloud too, so a new phone gets them back. Dear keeps everything on the phone.
Which one should you actually get?
Neither needs an account, and both leave the writing to you. Get Dear if you want 15 people free, the app in your own language, or a phone that is not an iPhone. Get Ciao! if you would rather go through everyone on Sunday than get one name a day, and want an animal, notes and a birthday note for each friend.
