A fair comparison
Swipe app, Vowel or a naming consultant?
Three ways to choose a baby name. Each is the right one for someone. Here is what each does, by category, so you can pick the one that fits you.
| Swipe apps | Vowel | A naming consultant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Lists of names to swipe through, often with a match for two partners | A deck that learns your taste, a page for each name, decision tools and a written Brief | An expert’s time: a call, a curated list, advice tailored to you |
| Who advises you | Usually no one: the app shows names and you judge | Aurora, an AI naming consultant: three spoken sessions and written answers, with a reason for every suggestion | A person, with their own experience and judgment |
| Learns your taste | Varies; many mainly filter or reorder a list | Yes: each answer sharpens the next | Yes, through a questionnaire and a conversation |
| Choosing as a couple | Often: swipe separately, see the matches | Separate choices, only shared loves surface, nobody sees the other’s no’s, defend a name | Depends on the service |
| Deciding between finalists | Often stops at a shared list | Sort two by two, finalists, a day with, try it on for life, a decision session with Aurora, middle name, full name | Usually the point of the session: someone to talk it through with |
| Statistics | Varies | Official sources: SSA, INSEE, ONS and CSO, with each name’s curve through the years | Depends on the consultant |
| When you can use it | Any time, on your phone | Any time, on your iPhone | By appointment, or an answer within days, depending on the package |
| Cost | Free or low cost; often with ads or a subscription | A free version, then US $9.99 once, or US $34.99 with three consultations; no subscription | A fee per call or package; one public price page lists $125 to $2,500 |
| Where it falls short | Little help once you have a long list | Aurora is an AI, not a person, and she answers in writing | Costs more, needs scheduling, and rests on one person’s taste |
Categories, not products. Swipe apps differ a lot from one another, so read the first column as what is typical.
Consultant fees: the public price page of one consultancy (read in October 2026) lists $125 for a question answered by email, $200 for a 60-minute video call, $300 for a call plus a list of 10+ curated names, and $2,500 for three months of one-on-one consulting. nameberry.com/consulting
Which one fits you
A swipe app is enough if
You want to browse names quickly, for free, and you already know how you will choose between them.
Vowel fits if
You want something that learns your taste, helps two of you agree and carries you from a long list to one name, with spoken consultations if you want them, for the price of a single purchase.
A consultant fits if
You want a person to talk to, a human’s judgment on culture and context, and you are happy to pay for their time.
More than a list
Most of the work in choosing a name comes after the list. Vowel keeps going: sort two by two, star finalists, spend a day with each, then use the tools that settle it.
Sessions, and a written Brief
Like a consultant, Vowel holds sessions: three spoken consultations with Aurora, an AI, each with an agenda and notes after. And she writes your Brief: your style, a verdict on your list, fresh names with reasons and a chapter for each finalist.
More about the app
Free on the site, today
No app needed.
Questions
Does Vowel replace a naming consultant?
For many families it covers what they need: three spoken consultations, a written Brief and the tools to decide. If you want a human to talk to, hire one; Vowel can still help you prepare.
Is Vowel a swipe app?
It has a deck you answer with Love, Maybe or Not for us, but it goes further: decision tools, finalists, a written Brief and an AI consultant.
How much does a naming consultant cost?
It varies by package. One public price page lists $125 for a question answered by email, $200 for a 60-minute call and $300 with a list of 10+ names, up to $2,500 for three months.
Why don’t you name the other apps?
Features change and differ between apps, so we compare categories and say what is typical. Check any app yourself before you decide.
How much does Vowel cost?
It is free to download. Everything is unlocked for 3 days, except the full Brief. Then The One is US $9.99, or US $34.99 with the three consultations. No subscription.