Soundly app review: cost, Android, and the better fit.
Soundly is a voice-controlled myofunctional therapy game for Apple devices. Its full program uses a Soundly Pro subscription, it is not available on Android, and sessions run about 15 minutes. Airway Trainer offers a personalized 6-week plan on iPhone and Android with shorter 5 to 10 minute sessions. Here is the evidence, pricing, and practical difference before you download either app.
Why people pick Airway Trainer
average user rating
people training their airway
Daily routine
5–10 min
guided, video-led sessions
Cost to start
Free
no paywall to try the app
Available on iPhone and Android. In-app purchases unlock the full 6-week program.
TLDR
Soundly is best for iPhone users who want a game. Airway Trainer is the more flexible first try.
Soundly is a thoughtfully built, genuinely novel app: voice-controlled myofunctional therapy with a research story behind it. But it's iOS-only, 15 minutes a day, and the same gamified flow for every user. Airway Trainer is free to download on iPhone and Android, and the plan is personalized to the specific weak points contributing the most to your snoring — a 6-week program with a clear finish line.
Best first download
Airway Trainer
A personalized 6-week training program that targets the specific weak points contributing the most to your snoring, with video-led demos on iPhone and Android.
If you like gamification
Soundly
Soundly turns myofunctional therapy into a voice-controlled game with collectible characters. iOS only, and the full therapy is gated behind a subscription.
Most important caveat
Structure vs play
Both apps draw from the same research family. The difference is whether you want a defined training program or an ongoing gamified loop.
Airway Trainer is the better first choice for most people
Soundly deserves credit for an inventive format and a real research collaboration. But for most people choosing what to download tonight, a personalized 6-week program with a defined finish line — that runs on both iPhone and Android — is a more direct path than a 15-minute-a-day voice game gated behind a subscription.
Side-by-side comparison
The real decision: a game, or a training program?
Soundly has a genuinely interesting origin story. It was developed at the University of Minnesota Medical Devices Center with the Fairview Sleep Center, and from 2020 to 2022 it was used in a research study by Mayo Clinic. The format is unusual: a voice-controlled game where specific vocalizations evolve characters and unlock new worlds, designed to make myofunctional therapy fun enough to keep doing.
That format is the differentiator and the trade-off. Airway exercises behave like physical therapy: the gains come from training the muscles that are actually weak. Soundly runs the same gamified flow on every user. Airway Trainer pinpoints the specific weak points contributing the most to your snoring and builds a personalized 6-week plan around them — same family of therapy, sharper target, and a defined end date.
How we would choose
- Start with Airway Trainer if you want a plan tailored to your specific weak points and a defined 6-week program — and especially if you're on Android.
- Try Soundly if gamification is what's missing for you, you're on iPhone, and a 15-minute voice game is the format most likely to keep you engaged.
- Talk with a clinician if symptoms suggest possible sleep apnea, especially gasping, choking, breathing pauses, or strong daytime sleepiness.
A typical day in each app
What you'll actually do, minute by minute
Both apps draw from myofunctional therapy, but the daily experience is very different. Here's what each one asks of you, based on each app's own published guidance.
Airway Trainer
One 5 to 10 minute personalized session
- 1Open the app to today's session in your personalized 6-week plan, already queued around your specific weak points.
- 2Watch a short video demo, then follow along with on-screen timers.
- 3Mark the day complete and see the streak update. One short session, done.
- 4Six weeks of this — then the program is over, with a defined finish line.
Why it's built this way: Targeting plus adherence wins. A short, personalized session aimed at your weak points is what most people can actually keep up — and a defined six-week plan closes before motivation does.
Soundly
A 15-minute voice-controlled game
- 1Open the app on iPhone (or iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision — no Android version).
- 2Make specific vocalizations — sounds like "knee" and "naw" — to control the game.
- 3Play for 15 minutes a day. Collect Stars, evolve characters, unlock new worlds.
- 4Continue with Soundly Pro to access the full gamified therapy library.
In Soundly's own words: "Simply play the game for 15 minutes a day to begin reducing your snoring." For people who like gamification and are on iPhone, that framing genuinely works.
Our honest take
Both apps work in the same family. They make opposite design bets.
We built Airway Trainer after watching too many people quit oropharyngeal exercises in week two. The science is solid (Cochrane and JMIR back this family of therapy), but the apps that teach it tend to ask for either a long open-ended commitment or a format that doesn't fit ordinary life.
Soundly's bet is that gamification is the missing piece — that if therapy is fun, people will keep doing it. That's a reasonable bet for the right audience. The trade-off is a single gamified format for every user, iPhone-only, 15 minutes a day, and a subscription to access the full therapy.
We took the opposite bet. A short, targeted, video-led session built around the specific weak points contributing the most to your snoring, on both iPhone and Android, with a defined 6-week plan that closes before motivation does. If the science is real, the app's job is to get out of your way.
Inside the app
What Airway Trainer actually looks like
A personalized 6-week plan, video-led exercises, and progress tracking, designed so the daily routine targets your weak points and stays short enough to keep up.
Personalized 6-week plan
A defined training program built around your weak points, not an open-ended game loop.
Video-led exercises
Each exercise is demonstrated on screen with a timer. Follow along; the app counts the reps.
Track the science behind it
Built on the Cochrane and JMIR evidence base for myofunctional and oropharyngeal exercises.
See it for yourself. Airway Trainer is free to download.
The science behind the exercises
Why myofunctional therapy actually works
Both apps draw from the same body of research. These videos give you the background so the daily practice makes sense.
Featured
Exercises for snoring and sleep apnoea
A broader look at the evidence behind oropharyngeal and myofunctional therapy exercises — the family of therapy both apps draw from.
Throat exercises for snoring and sleep apnoea
Quick context on the tongue, palate, and throat exercises behind both programs.
Skip the theory
Try the routine yourself, free.
Airway Trainer is free to download on iPhone and Android. Start the guided plan in under a minute.
Airway Trainer
Pros
- Personalized plan that targets the exact weak points contributing the most to your snoring
- Free to download, try the program before paying
- Short 5 to 10 minute daily session designed for adherence
- Available on both iPhone and Android
- A defined 6-week program with a clear finish line
Cons
- Premium content uses in-app purchases
- Not gamified — for people who want game mechanics, this is a different feel
- Currently English-only
Soundly
Pros
- Genuinely novel format: voice-controlled gamified myofunctional therapy
- Developed at the University of Minnesota Medical Devices Center with Fairview Sleep Center
- Used in a research study by Mayo Clinic from 2020 to 2022
- Collectible characters and game progression keep some users engaged
Cons
- iOS only — no Android support
- 15 minutes a day is a longer commitment than Airway Trainer's 5–10 minute session
- Same gamified flow for every user — not targeted to your specific airway
- Full therapy is gated behind a Soundly Pro subscription
Medical note
Snoring can be simple vibration, but it can also be a warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Apps can support education and adherence, but they do not diagnose or replace treatment. Seek clinical advice for gasping, choking, witnessed pauses, morning headaches, high blood pressure, or strong daytime sleepiness.
Sources
Airway Trainer on the App Store
Official iOS listing for Airway Trainer.
Airway Trainer on Google Play
Official Android listing for Airway Trainer.
Soundly on the App Store
Used for Soundly's described format (voice-controlled gamified therapy), 15-minute daily session, platforms (iOS, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision), Soundly Pro subscription, and research collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic.
Cochrane review on myofunctional therapy
Background evidence on mouth and throat exercises for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea — the family of therapy both apps draw from.
Soundly vs Airway Trainer FAQs
Is Soundly on Android?
No. Per the App Store listing, Soundly is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision. There is no Android version. Airway Trainer is available on both iPhone and Android.
How does Soundly actually work?
Soundly is a voice-controlled game. You play it by making specific vocalizations — sounds like "knee" and "naw" — and the game responds, evolving characters and unlocking new worlds as you go. The idea is to deliver myofunctional therapy in a format that is more fun and easier to stick with than a traditional exercise routine.
How much does Soundly cost?
Soundly is free to download with a Soundly Pro subscription for the full therapy, listed at $29.99/year on the App Store. Pricing on the app stores can change, so check the live listing for current details. Airway Trainer is free to download with optional in-app purchases for premium content.
Which app has stronger research?
Soundly has a more direct app-specific research story: it was developed at the University of Minnesota Medical Devices Center in collaboration with the Fairview Sleep Center, and was used in a Mayo Clinic research study from 2020 to 2022. Airway Trainer is built on the broader Cochrane and JMIR evidence base for oropharyngeal and myofunctional therapy exercises — the same family of therapy both apps teach. The difference is how the exercises are applied: Soundly is a gamified loop, Airway Trainer is a personalized 6-week training program.
Can either app replace CPAP or medical care?
No. Snoring and sleep apnea can be medical issues. These apps may support airway exercise habits, but diagnosed sleep apnea, gasping, choking, witnessed pauses, or major daytime sleepiness should be discussed with a qualified clinician.
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Read comparisonStart tonight, for free
Download Airway Trainer on iPhone or Android, open the guided 6-week plan, and do tonight's session in under 10 minutes. No upfront payment to see what you're getting.