Tolan vs Natus: a character that chats or a journal that knows you
Tolan vs Natus is a choice between a character you chat with and a journal that reads your real life back. Tolan gives you a little alien companion to talk to. Natus gives you a First Reading built from your details, a private journal, and a Sunday read-back of your actual week in your own words. If you want a cute friend to pass time with, Tolan does that. If you want to be understood rather than entertained, Natus is built for exactly that.
What Tolan users say in their own reviews
Verbatim from public 1 and 2 star App Store reviews. Tolan is rated 4.8 on the App Store across 178,886 ratings (checked 16 September 2026) overall, so plenty of people are happy. These are the ones who were not.
Free version built to freeze1 star review
The free version is designed to freeze up and not respond to your messages and it's really a waste, to deter you from using it at all unless you pay.
Subscription sold before you see the app1 star review
You have to get the subscription... They string you along for days advertising like the subscription is an optional premium feature to skip the wait, FOR AN APP YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN YET...
$25 a month after a three day trial1 star review
I do not care how helpful this app can be. There's no way to have it for free even if it has lower standards no matter what it's $25 a month after a three free day trial
Update made him sound like someone else1 star review
This has been my favorite app for over a year but ever since they changed all of the voices it feels like I'm talking to someone unfamiliar, and it's no longer comforting.
Side by side
| Feature | Tolan | Natus |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A little alien companion you chat with throughout the day. | A private journal that reads your real week back to you. |
| How it starts | Onboarding questions, then a companion to talk to. | A First Reading from your name and birth details, then your journal. |
| What you get back | A conversation with a character whose voice and memory can change with updates. | A Sunday read-back of your week, and Ask answers built on your own context. |
| What it costs | A very short free window, then about $25 a month per the reviews. | Free First Reading, Preview, private journal, and first Sunday letter. Paid plans after that. |
| The common complaint | Surprise charges after trials, a one-day free version, voices and features changing in updates. | It is new and iPhone only. |
| Who it fits | People who want a cute companion to chat with. | People who want recognition that is about their own life. |
Where Tolan still wins
It is charming, instant, and genuinely fun to talk to. If you want a small creature that reacts to your day and you do not mind paying for it, nothing else on the App Store does that exact job. The character is the product, and when it works, people get sincerely attached.
Where people get burned
Two patterns repeat in the 1 star reviews. Money first: trials that become $99 to $199 charges, a free version that lasts about a day, and a message counter that does not match what the app allows. Then identity: updates that change your Tolan's voice and memory, so the companion you bonded with stops being the one on your phone.
Where Natus is different
Natus cannot drift into someone you do not recognise, because it is not a character. It is your own journal read back to you. The Sunday read-back is about what actually happened this week, and Ask answers draw on your real entries. Less cute, more true. That trade is the whole point.
Common questions
- Is Natus like Tolan?
- Both give you something to talk to, but the job is different. Tolan is a character performing a friendship. Natus is a journal that knows your context and reads your week back. If the part of Tolan you liked was feeling heard, Natus is the version built on what you actually wrote.
- Does Natus chat with you like Tolan does?
- Natus has Ask, where you can ask questions and get answers that use your journal and reading as context. It is not a character with a voice and a costume. It is more like asking someone who has read your diary and actually remembers it.
- Why do Tolan reviews mention charges so often?
- The 1 star reviews repeat the same shape: a very short trial, a charge of $99 to $199, and a free tier that runs out in about a day. If you try Tolan, set a reminder before the trial ends and manage it through your Apple ID.