Compare · as of Oct 2026
Be Thoughtful vs Felt
Felt and Be Thoughtful both turn a few taps into a real card in someone’s mailbox, but they work in opposite ways. With Felt you write the message yourself, with your finger or a stylus on your phone or tablet, and Felt prints it on the card. With Be Thoughtful you type (or let AI draft) the words, and the card is written in real ink with a ballpoint pen.
So the question is mostly what you want the card to carry: your own handwriting, printed, or a letter written in pen in a handwriting style. Below is a fair side-by-side, as of Oct 2026, using what Felt publishes on its site and its App Store listing.
Side by side
| Be Thoughtful | Felt | |
|---|---|---|
| Handwriting | Written in real ink with a ballpoint pen by a pen-guided handwriting machine at our handwriting fulfillment partner, in the handwriting style you pick | Your own handwriting, written on screen with a finger or stylus, then printed; designer fonts if you’d rather type |
| Writing the message | AI drafts a personal letter you edit, or write your own | You write it yourself |
| Card covers | A one-of-a-kind painted cover from your letter, your photo, or your design | Felt’s designs or your own photos, with drawings, stickers and multi-panel cards |
| How you order | In the browser on any phone or computer, guest checkout | An iPhone and iPad app, plus a web spreadsheet upload |
| Price | A card starts at $8.95 and a full letter at $10.95, US stamp included | The App Store listing gives a starting price including postage |
| Gifts | Gift cards on folded cards | Seasonal gifts, flowers, cash or brand gift cards with the card |
| Reminders and scheduling | Free reminders, a phone calendar, and an arrival date you choose | Reminders for contacts and events, and delivery on a future date |
| Letters from characters | Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, with optional voice or video | Not offered on their site |
| Business | Client cards, automations and an API | Spreadsheet upload and group cards; no business section on the home page |
Where Be Thoughtful is better
- Real pen ink. Our cards are written with a ballpoint pen, so the ink sits in the paper. Felt prints the note you wrote on screen.
- Help with the words. If you don’t know what to say, the AI drafts a personal letter from a few details and you edit it until it sounds like you.
- Full letters. Besides cards, you can send a full handwritten page, which suits long letters to grandparents or friends far away.
- A painted cover for each card, made from what you wrote.
- Letters for children from Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, plus business tools if you also send to clients.
Where Felt is better
- Your own handwriting. If you want the card to show your actual writing and doodles, Felt is built exactly for that; we can’t do it.
- Playful designs. Multi-panel cards, stickers, confetti and envelope decorating give Felt cards a scrapbook feel.
- Gifts with the card. Felt lists seasonal gifts, flowers, cash and brand gift cards. We only offer gift cards, and only on folded cards.
- A native app for iPhone and iPad, with saved signatures and an address book in your own handwriting.
Who should pick which
Pick Felt if… you want the card to show your own handwriting and drawings, love playful card layouts, or want flowers or a small gift in the same order.
Pick Be Thoughtful if… you want a letter written in real pen ink, want help with the words, need a full-page letter, or want free reminders without an app.
Good to know
Writing with a finger on a phone takes some practice, and Felt includes guidelines, an eraser and undo to help. If you find that fiddly, or your handwriting is hard to read, a handwriting style written in pen may be easier.
With Be Thoughtful you see the finished card before you pay: the cover, the letter in the handwriting style you chose and the arrival estimate. With Felt you see your own note on screen exactly as it will be printed.
Both services mail the card for you with a stamp, so there is no trip to the post office either way.
Questions
Sources
Checked as of Oct 2026. Services change their features and prices, so check their pages for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.