---
title: "InterPals alternative: Kindredly vs InterPals (2026)"
description: "InterPals is a free, ad-funded pen pal site you search by country, age and language. Kindredly matches strangers by how they write, with no profiles."
url: https://kindredly.io/vs/interpals
language: en
updated: 2026-10-09
---

# Kindredly vs InterPals

Kindredly is an anonymous penpal app that matches strangers by how they write. InterPals, running since 1998, is a free pen pal site and app where you search member profiles by country, city, age and language, and it's paid for by advertising. On InterPals you choose who to write to. On Kindredly there are no profiles: you write a letter to nobody in particular, and it lands first with strangers who write the way you do. Facts about InterPals on this page are as of October 2026.

## side by side.

What each one does, row by row, as of October 2026. Every row about InterPals links to where it comes from.

|  | Kindredly | InterPals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| what it is | An anonymous penpal app that matches strangers by how they write. | A pen pal community focused on friendship, cultural exchange, language learning and pen pals. Its homepage calls it "the original pen pal site". [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| members | Not published. | Running since 1998. The homepage says 8.5+ million users; the About page says 6+ million members (October 2026). [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/about) |
| how you meet people | You don't search. Your letter lands first on the desks of strangers who write the way you do, and fifteen strangers' letters land on your desk a day on the free plan. | You search by country, city, age and the languages someone speaks or is learning. Since September 2026 the iPhone app's home screen also suggests people by age, languages and goals. There's no swiping. [source ↗](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.interpals&hl=en_US) |
| profiles and photos | No profiles and no profile pictures. You're a number, like No. 4207. No photos until both people trade names. | Profiles show what each member is looking for. The guidelines ask for your own photos, real age and actual location. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/community-guidelines) |
| dating | Not a dating app: no profiles, no profile pictures and no swiping. | Says it isn't a dating site. Some members list romance as something they're open to; unwanted romantic or sexual messages break its rules. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| messages | Letters, one at a time. After five letters each way, either of you can offer your name; names are swapped only when both choose to. | Chat with photos and GIFs, in-app translation, and message requests so you decide who gets into your inbox. [source ↗](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.interpals&hl=en_US) |
| daily limits | Free plan: five new letters of your own a day, five answers to strangers waiting at once, and no limit on the letters inside a correspondence. First Class lifts the daily cap on new letters. | A daily limit on contacting new people, to cut spam; it rises the longer you've been a member. Replies and ongoing conversations aren't limited. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| price | Free plan, plus First Class, an optional paid fare: no cap on new letters, rooms that never close, voice letters and the courier's full wardrobe. Prices are shown before purchase. No ads. | Free, paid for by advertising. No paid tier and no in-app purchases (October 2026). [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| age | 18+ only. | 13+. Adults can't message younger teens, and search and messaging limits follow each member's age. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/safety) |
| safety tools | A safety check reads letters before they go out to strangers' desks. Report or block from any letter or room; when three different people report the same writer, that writer can't send letters any more. | Automated systems act on reports around the clock. Reports are confidential, blocking is instant, and account decisions can be appealed. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/safety) |
| platforms | An iPhone app and the web, one account if you sign in with Google or email. On Android, it works in the browser. | The web, plus official iPhone and Android apps. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| languages | The web runs in ten languages, the iPhone app in all but 中文. A letter on your desk in a language you don't read comes with a translate key. | Search by languages spoken and set the minimum level to Native or Proficient to find native speakers. [source ↗](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq) |
| app store ratings | Not published on its site. | 3.9 out of 5 from 648 ratings on the US App Store; 3.4 stars from 26.4K reviews on Google Play (October 9, 2026). [source ↗](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/interpals/id1220469418) |

Facts about InterPals were checked against its own site, help pages and store listings on 9 October 2026, and can change. Facts about Kindredly are checked against the product.

## interpals, briefly.

InterPals started in April 1998 as the International Penpal Page, a forum for finding email and postal pen pals. It was rebuilt and renamed InterPals in 1999. It says it reached a million registered members in 2010. Its iPhone app came out in March 2017, followed by Android.

Today its homepage says it has 8.5+ million users and that you can make friends in 180+ countries. Its own About page puts the figure at 6+ million members. On the US App Store the app has 3.9 out of 5 from 648 ratings. On Google Play it has 3.4 stars from 26.4K reviews and 1M+ downloads (both as of October 9, 2026).

## kindredly, briefly.

Kindredly is an anonymous penpal app that matches strangers by how they write. You write a letter to nobody in particular. It lands first on the desks of strangers who write the way you do, matched by how long your sentences run, where you pause, whether you ask questions and how you end a thought. When one of them writes back, you have a penpal.

Nobody sees a profile or a photo of you. You're a number, like No. 4207. After five letters each way, either of you can offer your name, and names are swapped only when you both choose to. Everyone also gets a courier: a small bird who hatches from your first words, carries your letters, and gets hungry if you stop writing.

## where they're alike.

Both are for writing to strangers, and neither calls itself a dating app. Neither has swiping. Both are free to start writing. Both can translate a letter in a language you don't read, and both let you block someone. Both also limit how many new people you can reach, and neither counts the letters inside a conversation.

## how you find people.

On InterPals, you look for people. The Android app lets you search by country, city, age and the languages someone speaks or is learning. On iPhone, the search filters cover age, sex, languages and location, with options such as native speakers only and only online users (version 2.16.1, October 2026). To find native speakers, you pick the language under Languages Spoken and set the minimum level to Native or Proficient. Since September 2026 the iPhone app's home screen also suggests people from your age, languages and goals (Discover). InterPals says there's no swiping and no matching game.

On Kindredly, you don't search, and there are no profiles to browse. Your letter goes first to the strangers whose writing runs closest to yours. Their letters land on your desk too, fifteen a day on the free plan, and you answer the one you want to. Photos, profiles and location don't come into the match.

## profiles and photos.

An InterPals profile is how people find you. It shows what you're looking for. The community guidelines ask members to use their own photos, real age and actual location, and stolen or AI-generated photos aren't allowed. Members can see who viewed their profile and who's online right now.

Kindredly has no profiles and no profile pictures. Nobody sees a profile or a photo of you, only your letters. There are no photos at all until both people have traded names.

## messages, limits and pace.

InterPals conversations happen in chat. Messages can carry photos and GIFs and can be translated inside the app. Message requests let you decide who gets into your inbox. There's a daily limit on how many new people you can contact, which InterPals says is there to cut spam, and it goes up the longer you've been a member. Messages to people you've already written to aren't limited, and replying to someone who wrote to you first doesn't count. InterPals says most members reply within a day or two.

Kindredly is letters, one at a time. On the free plan you can send five new letters of your own a day and have five answers to strangers waiting at once; the letters inside a correspondence never count. A letter on your desk in a language you don't read comes with a translate key. If you stop writing, your courier gets hungry.

## what each costs.

InterPals says every service is free and paid for by advertising. Its homepage FAQ says creating a profile, searching for pen pals and messaging have been free since 1998. As of October 2026 there's no paid tier: no subscription in its FAQ, and no in-app purchases on its App Store or Google Play listing. The Play listing is marked Contains ads, and the terms of service don't allow users to hide ads.

Kindredly has no ads. Its free plan covers fifteen strangers' letters on your desk a day, five new letters of your own a day, your courier, and every correspondence, with no limit on the letters inside it. First Class is the optional paid fare: no cap on new letters, rooms that never close, voice letters (recorded in the iPhone app) and the courier's full wardrobe. Prices are shown before purchase.

## safety and age.

InterPals is open to anyone 13 and over, and it removes accounts of under-13s. Contact between age groups is limited: adults can't message younger teens, and search and messaging limits follow each member's age. Automated systems act on reports around the clock. Reports are confidential, and blocking stops contact instantly without telling the other person. Suspensions and removals can be appealed, and an appeal gets a fresh review. Uploaded images are scanned for nudity, and hash matching catches re-uploads of removed images. The FAQ says InterPals relies on volunteer moderators and gets hundreds of new reports a day, so reviews can take time. Its guidelines warn that steering new contacts quickly onto WhatsApp, Telegram or other apps is a common scam and grooming tactic.

Kindredly is 18+ only. You're a number instead of a name, and there are no photos until both people trade names. A safety check reads letters before they go out to strangers' desks. It stops threats, harassment, sexual content involving minors, and attempts to swap contact details, social handles or money. You can report or block from any letter or room, and when three different people report the same writer, that writer can't send letters any more.

## languages and devices.

InterPals runs on the web and on official iPhone and Android apps; the iPhone app needs iOS 15.1 or later. It's set up well for language learners. You can search by the languages someone speaks or is learning and filter for native speakers, and the App Store description pitches tandem language partners and meeting travelers who are visiting your area.

Kindredly is an iPhone app and a website. One account works on both when you sign in with Google or email; Sign in with Apple is iPhone-only. On Android, your letters, kindreds and courier all work in the browser. The web runs in English, 中文, Español, Português, Bahasa Indonesia, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, 日本語 and 한국어, and the iPhone app in all of them but 中文. Since there are no profiles, there's no way to look up native speakers of a language. A letter on your desk in a language you don't read comes with a translate key.

## what interpals users say.

Reviews are mixed, and the dates matter. On the App Store, one reviewer (December 2024) says they met several great people. They add that limiting who can contact you to friendship, pen pals or language exchange keeps out members set to romance or flirting. On Trustpilot, a third-party site, one reviewer (August 2026) says he has made loyal friends there.

Trustpilot shows a 1.7 TrustScore from 141 reviews as of October 9, 2026. Its AI-written summary of recent reviews says reviewers feel the site and app are full of bots and scammers. It adds that people often complain of accounts blocked or suspended by automated moderation without clear warnings or explanations. A 2023 App Store review describes scammers, fake profiles and no identity checks at sign-up. That review predates the phone-verification updates InterPals shipped in September 2026 (app versions 2.14.0 and 2.15.0). Recent Google Play reviews mention search showing people whose settings then block friend requests (June 2026) and glitches while typing messages (January 2026).

## which one is for you?

Pick InterPals if you're 13 to 17, since Kindredly is for adults only. It's also the better choice if you want a language-exchange partner or a native speaker of a particular language, or if you'd like to choose people by country, city or age. Its App Store listing pitches meeting travelers visiting your area, too. InterPals has a native Android app, chat with photos and GIFs, and no paid tier at all, and it says most members reply within a day or two. Pick Kindredly if you're an adult who'd rather not have a profile or a photo, and you'd like the match to come from how you write instead of a search. Letters go one at a time. You're a number until you both choose to trade names, and there are no photos before that.

## questions people ask.

### is InterPals free?

Yes. InterPals says every service is free and paid for by advertising, and its homepage FAQ says creating a profile, searching for pen pals and messaging have been free since 1998. As of October 2026 there's no paid tier: its App Store and Google Play listings show no in-app purchases, and the Play listing is marked Contains ads. Kindredly is free too, with an optional paid fare called First Class.

### what's the difference between InterPals and Kindredly?

InterPals is a pen pal community where you search profiles by country, city, age and language, then chat with the people you pick. It's free, paid for by advertising, and open from age 13. Kindredly is an anonymous penpal app that matches strangers by how they write. It has no profiles or profile pictures, your letter lands first with strangers who write the way you do, and you're a number until you both choose to trade names. Kindredly is 18+ only and free, with an optional paid fare.

### is Kindredly a good alternative to InterPals?

It depends what you use InterPals for. If you want a language partner, a native speaker, or people in a particular country, InterPals' search is built for that, and Kindredly has no search. If you'd like to write to strangers without a profile or a photo, and be matched by how you write, that's what Kindredly does. It's for adults only, on iPhone and the web.

### is InterPals a dating site?

InterPals says no. It calls itself a community focused on friendship, cultural exchange, language learning and pen pals. Some members list romance as something they're open to, and InterPals says unwanted romantic or sexual messages break its rules and can lead to warnings, suspension or account removal. Kindredly isn't a dating app either: it has no profiles, no profile pictures and no swiping.

### is InterPals safe?

InterPals has a minimum age of 13, limits on contact between age groups, automated systems that act on reports around the clock, confidential reports, instant blocking, appeals and image scanning. Its FAQ says it relies on volunteer moderators and gets hundreds of reports a day, so reviews can take time. Some users report scammers and fake profiles: Trustpilot shows 1.7 from 141 reviews as of October 9, 2026. InterPals added phone verification in September 2026. Its own guidelines warn that pushing new contacts quickly onto WhatsApp or Telegram is a common scam and grooming tactic.

### can I find language exchange partners on Kindredly like on InterPals?

Not in the same way. On InterPals you can search by the languages someone speaks and set the level to Native or Proficient. Kindredly has no profiles, so there's no way to look someone up by language. What it has is a translate key: a letter on your desk in a language you don't read comes with one. The web runs in ten languages, and the iPhone app in all of them but 中文.

## keep reading.

- [Kindredly vs Slowly](https://kindredly.io/vs/slowly) — interests and distance, or how you write.
- [a penpal in another language](https://kindredly.io/guides/penpal-in-another-language) — how to write when you don't share one.
- [how it works](https://kindredly.io/how-it-works) — every step, and what's free.
- [is it safe?](https://kindredly.io/safety) — anonymous by design, 18+ only.

## sources · checked 2026-10-09

- [InterPals home page](https://www.interpals.net/)
- [InterPals: about](https://www.interpals.net/app/about)
- [InterPals: faq](https://www.interpals.net/app/faq)
- [InterPals: safety](https://www.interpals.net/app/safety)
- [InterPals: child safety](https://www.interpals.net/app/child-safety)
- [InterPals: community guidelines](https://www.interpals.net/app/community-guidelines)
- [InterPals: tos](https://www.interpals.net/app/tos)
- [App Store listing: InterPals](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/interpals/id1220469418)
- [Google Play listing: InterPals](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.interpals&hl=en_US)
- [Trustpilot: InterPals reviews](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.interpals.net)
- [kindredly.io/llms.txt](https://kindredly.io/llms.txt)
- [kindredly.io](https://kindredly.io/)

---

Kindredly is an anonymous penpal app that matches strangers by how they write.

Kindredly · https://kindredly.io/