Lettie vs Slowly: two slow-letter apps, one real difference
Slowly and Lettie both deliver letters by distance. We compare them on purpose, first letters, translation, profiles and matching, and who each one suits.
Full disclosure first: Lettie is ours. So this isn't "we're better" — it's "where do they split." Slowly has more or less defined the slow-letter genre since 2017, and we like it. If all you want is a pen pal, Slowly is still a fine choice.
What's the same
- Letters take as long as the distance. Seoul to Lisbon is about a day; to Tokyo, a few hours. Both apps treat that delay as the feature. Nobody replies instantly, so people write differently — longer, slower.
- You collect stamps. Country and seasonal stamps, stuck to letters and kept in an album, in both.
- You don't start with a face. Slowly uses avatars; Lettie uses pixel characters.
From here they diverge on five things.
1. How it starts — you search vs letters come to you
Slowly is a pen-pal app end to end. The goal is a long correspondence with someone who shares your interests, found through interest matching and open letters.
Lettie is a pen-pal app too. What differs is how it starts: you pick up a letter a stranger released into the sky and reply, translation is free inside the app, and a few introduction cards arrive each day. No swiping, no scores. It's for people who would rather read one letter and answer it than search a directory for someone to write to.
2. How you meet your first letter — matching vs Discover
In Slowly you search by interests, languages and region, get auto-matched, or write Open Letters.
Most first letters on Lettie start in Discover. Letters released to no one in particular float by as envelopes; three new ones drift close once a day. Open one you like, read it, reply — and it becomes a conversation for two. You pick by what someone wrote, not by their profile.
3. Translation — where you cross the language line
This is the biggest gap. On Lettie the translate button is inside the letter, covers 70+ languages, and shows the original next to the translation. Free users get it. The default experience is: they write in their language, you read in yours.
Slowly doesn't put letter translation in the base experience; you go out to another tool or use a paid feature. That's a non-issue if your pen pal shares your language, and a big deal if you want to meet people regardless of language.
4. Profiles — avatar builder vs a character drawn from words
Slowly's avatars are assembled from parts. Lettie gives you sixteen pixel characters for free and draws your own in the same style from a selfie or a few words about how you look (the first one is free; the photo is used only for the drawing and isn't stored). No photo appears on the profile other people see.
5. Matching — none vs a few a day
Slowly finds pen pals through search and matching. Lettie sends a few introduction cards a day; if you like one, you write. It's a daily handful rather than an endless swipe, so you spend more time writing than choosing.
Side by side
| Lettie | Slowly | |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | Letters come to you (Discover, introduction cards) | You search (interest matching, open letters) |
| First letter | Pick up letters strangers released | Interest matching · open letters |
| Delivery | 1–24 h by real distance | By real distance |
| Translation | In-app, one tap, 70+ languages, free | External tools or paid |
| Profile | Pixel character; yours drawn from a photo or words | Avatar builder |
| Introductions | A few introduction cards a day | None (pen-pal search) |
| Stamps | Country stamps + stamps painted fresh for each draw + a 103-country stamp shop | Country & seasonal stamps |
| Price | Free; Plus subscription & gems | Free; coins |
So who should use what
- You want a long correspondence with someone who shares your hobbies → Slowly. Bigger user base, an eight-year-old community.
- You want to meet people regardless of language, chosen by what they wrote → Lettie. Translation is the default; Discover lets you read before you choose.
- You'd rather know someone by their words than their face → Lettie. Characters first, letters first.
- You just want to read what people around the world are thinking → Either. Lettie's Discover opens several letters a day for free.
One honest downside
Lettie is smaller than Slowly. If you need to find someone in a specific small country with a specific hobby tonight, Slowly wins. What we have is translation, Discover, and a letter that really flies across a globe. If that's what you're after, release one tonight. Someone reads it tomorrow morning.
Based on public information as of September 2026. If Slowly has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest difference between Lettie and Slowly?
- How the first letter starts. Slowly finds you a pen pal through interest matching and open letters; Lettie starts with picking up a letter a stranger released into the sky (Discover) and replying. On top of that: free in-app translation in 70+ languages, a pixel character drawn from your description, and a few introduction cards a day. Photo-free character profiles and turn-taking letters.
- Do letters in Lettie take time to arrive like in Slowly?
- Yes. Delivery time comes from the distance between the two countries: at least 1 hour, at most 24 hours. Seoul to Tokyo takes 3–6 hours; Seoul to New York 12–24 hours.
- Is translation in Lettie paid?
- No. A translate button inside each letter covers 70+ languages for free; the letter turns into your language in place and switches back to the original with one tap.
- What changes if I move from Slowly to Lettie?
- Instead of only receiving match cards, you can pick up letters strangers released into the sky in the Discover tab and reply. Profiles start as one of sixteen pixel characters instead of a photo.