Slowly alternatives, compared fairly

Slowly made a lovely idea feel normal: that a message could take its time, and that the wait could be part of the pleasure. Letters cross the distance between two people at something like the pace of real post, and a whole generation of pen pals has met that way.

So if you are searching for a Slowly alternative, it is usually not because the idea stopped working. It is because something specific has started to rub: you want a different rhythm, a smaller room, a different way of being introduced, or simply a second place to write. This guide walks through the apps and services that sit closest to Slowly, describes each one using only what its makers say on their own site or store page, and ends with a short way to choose.

Why people look for apps like Slowly

Before comparing anything, it helps to name the itch. In our inbox and in the reviews we read, the reasons cluster into a few honest groups:

• Pace. Some people want letters to arrive faster, so a correspondence can breathe more than once a week. Others want them slower still.
• The room. A large community is wonderful for range and occasionally tiring for focus. Some writers want somewhere quieter.
• Introductions. How you meet someone shapes what you write to them: by interest tags, by a written introduction, by language, by chance.
• Object versus words. A few people discover that what they really wanted was something in the postbox, not on the screen.

None of these make Slowly worse. They just mean a different tool might fit the letter you want to write.

The right pen pal app is the one that makes you want to write the next letter, not the one with the longest feature list.

The Slowly alternatives, one by one

Slowly itself — the benchmark

On its own site and App Store page, Slowly describes letters that take longer to arrive the farther away your pen pal lives, from a few hours to a few days. You join with a nickname and an avatar, and matches are based on language and shared interests. There is a large stamp collection to build, the core letter writing is described as unlimited and free, and optional paid extras exist (a Plus subscription and in-app coins). It is rated 16+ on the App Store. If what you have there is working, the best alternative may be no alternative.

Snailpost — distance-timed letters, no public numbers

This is our app, so read this paragraph as a brochure and check it yourself. Snailpost also times delivery by real distance: a letter across your own city can land within the hour, one to the far side of the world takes a day or two, and you can watch it travel on a live map. Letters can be translated on arrival, there are no likes, followers or view counts anywhere, and introductions lean on written profiles and kindred matching by shared interests and languages. It is free on iPhone and Android; sending is capped at 10 letters and 7 new pen pals a day as an anti-spam limit, and an optional Snailpost Plus adds extras. There is a fuller, fair head-to-head on our Snailpost vs Slowly comparison.

Letterbird — a few hours in transit

Letterbird says its letters arrive in 3 to 6 hours, which suits people who want the ceremony of a letter without a multi-day wait. You choose paper, font, envelope and stamp; there is a stamp album and a map of where your mail has come from. It is on the App Store and Google Play and also works in a browser. It is for ages 13 and up, and its site says members aged 13 to 17 can only write to other teens. Anyone can write to you through a personal link, even without an account.

Penna — about a day on the road

Penna describes every letter as travelling for roughly 24 hours. You can discover people by interests, language or country, and you earn stamps as letters go back and forth. Its pitch is calm: no typing indicators, no pressure, a single place to see whose turn it is.

Lettre — handwriting and artist stamps

Lettre is a letter-writing app for iPhone and iPad that leans into the craft of it, with collectible, tradeable digital stamps made by independent artists. Its site says it is community-funded and independent. If the look and feel of the letter matters as much as the words, it is worth a try.

Postcrossing — the one with real stamps

Not an app-for-letters at all, and that is the point. Postcrossing gives you the address of a random member; you post them a real postcard, and once it is registered, someone else sends one to you. You pay your own postage. It is one-off exchanges rather than ongoing correspondence, but nothing on a phone matches a card arriving through your door.

InterPals and PenPalConnect — directories you browse yourself

InterPals has been running since 1998 and says profiles, search and messaging are free, with members in more than 180 countries. You search by country, language or interests and write to whoever you choose. Messages arrive as ordinary messages rather than on a delay, so it feels closer to chat. PenPalConnect is a free community, funded by ads, with an optional airmail mode that holds a letter for 24 hours and a separate space for under-18s.

HelloTalk and Tandem — when language is the goal

Both are language-exchange apps: you are paired with native speakers who want to learn your language, and you talk by text, voice or video with built-in correction and translation tools. They are excellent for practice and much faster than a letter. Friendships happen, but the conversation usually starts with the language.

Slowly alternatives at a glance

How to choose between them

Ignore the feature lists for a minute and ask three questions.

1. How often do you want to read a reply? Daily-ish suggests Letterbird or Penna. A few times a week, with distance setting the pace, suggests Slowly or Snailpost. Whenever the postman comes, Postcrossing.
2. How do you want to meet people? Matched for you by interests and language, or browsing a directory yourself like InterPals.
3. What are you protecting? If you have correspondents you love on Slowly, protect them first. Add a second app rather than abandoning the first.

Try one alternative for a month, write three real letters in it, and only then decide.the practical advice

If you land on Snailpost, the FAQ covers delivery times, stamps, translation and safety, and you can download it for iPhone or Android. If you are still not sure what you want from a pen pal, start with our broader guide to pen pal apps.

Questions

Whichever you choose, the first letter is the hard part. Here is how to write it.