Understanding Nelby
How we compare Nelby with other reflection apps
A comparison published on an app’s website has a commercial interest. This one does too: Yann Lephay, Nelby’s creator, publishes this site. We want to help you recognise whether Nelby fits your needs, but a useful recommendation must also explain when another option fits better. These are the rules we use to make that judgment checkable.
Start with the decision, not the brand
Each comparison addresses a specific choice: read a quote or try an exercise, keep a journal or reflect without writing, build a routine with a companion or receive selected reading. Two apps can both offer reminders while asking you to do quite different things.
Our recommendations are conditional. If you want a record of your own writing, a journal and history matter more than the size of Nelby’s library. If you only want a short encouraging line, additional depth may be effort you do not need.
What counts as a source
For other products, we use official websites, help centres and App Store listings. A feature described by a publisher is identified as such. Its appearance in a listing does not establish quality, availability in every country or an effect on a particular person.
For Nelby, we can also inspect the prepared app’s library and behaviour. We distinguish those materials from the release currently distributed as Éclo. A feature in source code or an announced offer does not establish availability in the app you can download today.
Examples show the work each format asks of you
Our decision scenarios are illustrative examples, not user testimonials. They show what a format involves: reading, writing, choosing an action or returning to a question. An identified Nelby excerpt comes from the stated content; a suggestion written for a guide does not become an app feature.
You can apply the reasoning to your own situation. For a conversation you have postponed, decide whether you need to preserve your account, formulate a request or simply find encouragement. The useful choice follows that output rather than an invented overall score.
Price, language and data can rule an option out
We avoid comparing amounts that buy different access or cover different periods. Prices and trials may vary by country, platform and time. The actual purchase summary takes priority. Nelby’s planned one-time purchase remains labelled as upcoming until availability is established.
A translated interface does not establish that every exercise is translated. Likewise, not keeping a diary does not mean no data is collected. We leave undocumented language or privacy details unresolved instead of filling a table with guesses. An unverified essential requirement is enough to pause a purchase.
What these comparisons do not measure
This series is a documentary comparison, not a long-term comparative product test. It does not measure mental-health improvement, retention or clinical outcomes. Store ratings and testimonials do not become results of our own testing.
The selection is deliberately limited to alternatives that clarify these decisions. It is not a comprehensive market ranking. Nelby and these guides are not tools for choosing treatment or replacing professional support.
Dates and corrections
Sources for this series were checked on September 9, 2026. Each comparison identifies the sources supporting its main distinctions. Review current product terms before buying, especially if you are reading well after that date.
If a feature is misdescribed or an offer has changed, contact info@yann-lephay.com with the comparison page and a link to the source. We can then verify the discrepancy and correct the text. We do not promise an automatic update schedule that we cannot guarantee.
Where Nelby fits
Nelby has a specific role in this selection: messages, exercises and reflections selected according to a profile. Our connection to the product is explicit; it does not make that approach the best choice for everyone.
Nelby is the upcoming version of Éclo. The version currently available on the App Store is still called Éclo and offers subscriptions.
Understand the app and upcoming offer →