In today's SNS era, communication between influencers, experts, and their followers is becoming increasingly important. Against this backdrop, question box services have been drawing attention, making it easy to receive questions from followers and share answers. However, with so many services available, many people may be unsure which one to use.
In this article, we will thoroughly compare popular services such as Marshmallow, Peing, Soudanbako, and BoxFresh, explaining the features and how to use each one. We hope this will help you find the question box service that best suits your needs.
Let's start with an overview of each service.
The following table summarizes each service.
| Peing | Marshmallow | BoxFlesh | Soudanbako | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Instagram integration ◯ | AI filter available | Instagram integration ◯ App available | Monetization possible AI filter available |
| Anonymity | Fully anonymous | Fully anonymous | Fully anonymous | Fully anonymous or real name selectable |
| Pricing | ◯ (Free) | △ (Subscription available) | ◯ (Free) | ◎ (Monetization possible) |
| Registration requirements | None | None | None | Required |
"Peing - Question Box -" is a question submission and answering service that can be used in conjunction with Twitter.
With this service, you post a recruitment form called a question box on Twitter, and other users can send questions anonymously through that form. The person who posted the form then answers the questions that come in. The service name is pronounced "Peing."
Official site: https://peing.net/ja/
The recipient cannot see who sent the question, making it easy to ask questions casually.
The user receiving the question only sees the question message itself — no names or identifying information are shown.
There is no way to identify the sender, so the questioner remains completely anonymous.
Question box bots are automated questions sent by the service's administrators.
The number of automated questions prepared by the administrators is said to reach into the hundreds, and some are so cleverly crafted that they can be mistaken for genuine questions from followers.
Ways to distinguish questions from question box administrators (bots) include:
· Searching the question text on Twitter
· Searching the question text on Google
· Blocking the bot
· Identifying by timing
· Checking whether it is a template message
Marshmallow is a question submission service for Twitter.
You link your Twitter account to create a Marshmallow account, and you can set up your own question box.
Official site: https://marshmallow-qa.com/
The person setting up the form needs to be registered on Twitter,
but anyone can send messages without registering as a respondent.
In "Marshmallow," there is a feature where AI automatically removes negative messages.
As a result, only positive content is sent through.
In addition, words or emojis that may be offensive are replaced with marshmallow emojis before being displayed.
No one can tell who sent it, so it won't be found out that you sent it to yourself.
No.
However, IP addresses are collected by Marshmallow, so it is possible to block users based on that information.
Since notifying the other party of a block would compromise safety, the blocked party is not notified at all. Message sending also proceeds as normal "on the surface."
Marshmallow has a "Premium Member" system.
Premium membership allows access to advanced features and other perks, and requires a monthly fee of 550 yen (tax included).
Since this fee is paid to the company operating Marshmallow, it is something you would want to avoid unless you are a heavy user.
There are multiple features only unlocked for premium members, including:
· Disabling the AI filter
· Answer notifications
· Raising the character limit for answers from 100 to 10,000 characters
· Answering without tweeting
and so on. Both those setting up question boxes and those posting questions on Marshmallow have some features restricted under the free plan.
Aggressive messages sent via Marshmallow are collectively called "toxic marshmallows," "burned marshmallows," or "trash marshmallows."
Content that makes the recipient or third-party observers uncomfortable is often referred to as a "toxic marshmallow."
As a result, most people use "toxic marshmallow" as an expression for messages sent with malicious intent.
The AI used by Marshmallow cannot filter out:
· Defamation using gentle language
· Unilateral imposition of values
and similar posts that make the recipient uncomfortable.
BoxFlesh is a type of question box app used across various social media platforms, including Instagram Stories. It is a service that allows anyone to easily ask questions, and respondents can share their answers publicly via SNS.
Official site: http://boxfresh.site/
BoxFlesh has strong integration with Instagram.
With a single tap, you can post a question image to your Instagram Story and answer it using the story editing features.
Instagram Stories come with various stickers including polls and other features.
Among them is a sticker with question box functionality, which is easier to use since it is an official feature.
However, since Instagram's question box feature does not allow anonymous submissions, that distinction can be used to decide between the two.
Soudanbako is a question submission service designed specifically for influencers.
What sets Soudanbako apart from other anonymous question submission services is the ability to monetize activity through Q&A.
Official site: https://soudanbako.com/
In "Soudanbako," you can monetize your activity through Q&A.
· "Super Letter" to make question posts stand out
· "THANKS" tipping feature to express appreciation for answers
Through these features, the more you answer questions and consultations from followers, the more tips you accumulate, allowing you to monetize naturally within genuine communication.
Soudanbako also has an AI filter feature, similar to Marshmallow.
Using the AI filter allows you to guard against offensive posts and defamatory content.
In Soudanbako, when abusive posts are submitted, they are converted to "positive" and "cat-speak" language, so the recipient does not feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, since Soudanbako uses the latest AI "ChatGPT" to understand context, it can filter out roundabout insults and condescending remarks — things that conventional AI could not detect.
Unlike Marshmallow, you can answer with more than 140 characters without paying for a subscription or additional charges.
Since you can edit the text even after answering, it can be used similarly to note.
Currently, only users with "10,000 or more Twitter followers" can register as "answerers" who are able to set up a question box in Soudanbako.
Since it is currently in beta, we are also considering easing the requirements when the official version is released.
We have now introduced four question box services.
So in conclusion, which service should you use?
Here is a summary by situation.
· People with 10,000 or more Twitter followers → "Soudanbako"
Being able to monetize is a big plus!
The AI filter also provides peace of mind.
· People who mainly use Instagram → "BoxFlesh"
Easy integration with Instagram;
unlike the story sticker, questions can be sent anonymously, which may help gather more questions.
· People worried about defamatory messages → "Marshmallow"
The AI filter can block a certain amount of defamatory posts.
· People who can handle any kind of post → "Peing - Question Box -"
Among these, it is the service with the longest history, so it has many users.
In this article, we compared four question box services — Marshmallow, Peing, Soudanbako, and BoxFresh — covering the features and how to use each, along with recommended points. Each service has its own unique characteristics, and it is important to choose based on your usage scenarios and goals.
We hope this article serves as a helpful reference when choosing the question box service that best suits your needs. Make the most of question box services to enrich communication with your followers and further expand your influence. Thank you for reading to the end.