MirrorBox vs NGL, in short: both give you a link to post on your story so friends can message you anonymously. NGL is the better-known app, but it is 18+ only and sells hints about who sent your messages. MirrorBox is open to 13+, has six message types, never reveals senders, has no ads, and works fully in your browser, though its iPhone and Android apps are still coming soon.
Disclosure: we make MirrorBox. Everything we say about NGL comes from its App Store listing and the FTC's public case documents, and is accurate as of October 2026.
Side-by-side comparison#
| MirrorBox | NGL | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | 13+ | 18+ (App Store rating; required by a 2024 FTC order) |
| Where it works | Any browser today; iPhone and Android apps coming soon | iPhone and Android apps |
| Message types | Ask, Note, Song, 3 words, Vibe, Memory | Ask-me-anything questions and games |
| Price | Free; optional MirrorBox+ | Free; NGL Pro subscription and hint purchases |
| Reveals who sent it | Never, free or paid. Senders can choose to reveal themselves in a chat | Pro includes "hints about who sent each of their messages" |
| Questions sent by the app | Always labelled "from MirrorBox" | — |
| Chat with the sender | Yes, they stay anonymous until they choose | — |
| Filters and moderation | Spam, hate and blocked-word filters on by default; human review of reports | Automated moderation (Hive) per its listing |
| Who can message you | Everyone, signed-in people, or people you follow | — |
| Muted words / take a break | Yes / Yes | — |
| Ads | None | — |
| Languages | 14, including Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Chinese | — |
A dash means NGL's listing doesn't mention the feature, not that it definitely doesn't have it.
Age: the biggest difference#
In July 2024, the FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney settled a case with NGL Labs and its co-founders. They agreed to pay $5 million and were banned from offering the app to anyone under 18. NGL now has to keep users who say they are under 18 out with an age gate. (FTC press release)
MirrorBox is open to people aged 13 and over, and was built with teens in mind: inboxes are private, filters are on from the first day, chats only connect people in the same age group (teens with teens, adults with adults), and optional marketing emails are never sent to anyone under 18.
Paying to find out who sent it#
This is where the two apps disagree most.
According to the FTC's complaint, NGL told users that its paid Pro subscription would reveal who sent their messages, when it only gave vague hints, and charged many users a recurring weekly fee of up to $9.99 they didn't know about. (FTC case page) Today, NGL's listing describes Pro as including "hints about who sent each of their messages", and it also sells "unlimited hints" packs.
MirrorBox takes the opposite approach: nothing reveals a sender. Not the free version, not MirrorBox+, not support. The only way you learn who sent a note is if the sender decides to tell you, for example by revealing themselves in a chat. We think that's the whole point of an anonymous message: if anonymity can be bought, it isn't really anonymity.
Real messages vs app-generated ones#
The FTC alleged that NGL sent users fake messages that looked like they came from real friends, to keep them engaged and push them toward Pro.
MirrorBox also sends questions to new or quiet inboxes, to help people get started. The difference: they're always labelled as coming from MirrorBox, in the app and in the notification, and you can turn them off. They're never presented as a friend.
More than one kind of message#
NGL is built around one prompt: "ask me anything." MirrorBox gives your friends six cards to choose from: Ask, Note, Song, 3 words, Vibe and Memory. That makes it easier for them to send something, and more fun for you to read.
Every "3 words" card also adds to your Friends' portrait, and your month wraps up in a recap you can post.
Safety tools#
Both apps use automated filtering. MirrorBox adds a set of controls you manage yourself:
- Who can message me: everyone, only signed-in people, or only people you follow.
- Muted words: notes containing them are silently dropped.
- Take a break: pause your inbox for 24 hours, a week, or until you're back.
- Block and report on every note, with reports reviewed by our moderation team.
- Nothing public unless you pin it.
Where NGL wins#
To be fair to NGL:
- It's famous. Many of your friends may already know how an NGL link works.
- It has native apps today. MirrorBox runs in your browser, and its iPhone and Android apps are still coming soon, so if you want an app on your home screen with one-tap story sharing, NGL has that today.
- It's been around longer, so it's a familiar sight on Instagram stories.
Verdict#
- Under 18? MirrorBox. NGL isn't allowed to serve you.
- Want real anonymity, with no one able to buy hints about you? MirrorBox.
- Want to start right now without downloading anything? MirrorBox works in any browser.
- Need a native app today, and you're 18+? NGL has one; MirrorBox's apps are coming soon.
Get your free MirrorBox link and see what your friends really think. Still deciding? Our roundup of the best NGL alternatives also covers Sendit and Tellonym.
