# Prompted Journal vs M.A. Books

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: M.A. Books at none against Prompted Journal's 4. M.A. Books also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Prompted Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. M.A. Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

Prompted Journal ships an update every 2 months, M.A. Books every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prompted Journal | M.A. Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prompted-journal-shadow-work/id1208362996/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 71 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Oatmeal Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633130995) | [Darren Dodson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497160179) |

## What reviewers say

### Prompted Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prompted-journal-shadow-work/id1208362996)

This app provides a guided journaling experience with over 190 prompts and "Dive Deeper" questions to encourage self-reflection and personal growth. It helps users establish a consistent self-care routine through daily reminders and offers privacy with no data storage required.

**Highlights:** 190+ journal prompts, "Dive Deeper" questions, Daily reminders, PDF export, Custom prompt creation, Private journaling

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prompted Journal Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium | $11.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Great for self-reflection
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly interface
- 🤗 Helpful and thought-provoking prompts
- 🌟 Aesthetically pleasing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with editing/deleting past entries
- 🔍 Lack of search/filter functionality
- 📱 Compatibility issues on larger screens
- 🔁 Repetitive prompts

**Reported bugs**

- Entries disappearing or being lost
- Blank screens when opening the app

**Requested features**

- Ability to add custom prompts
- Option to password protect entries
- Exporting/printing journal entries
- More variety in prompt types


### M.A. Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ma-books/id6751820149)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prompted Journal free?

Prompted Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is M.A. Books free?

M.A. Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Prompted Journal or M.A. Books have ads?

Neither Prompted Journal nor M.A. Books shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prompted Journal or M.A. Books?

Prompted Journal ships an update every 2 months, and M.A. Books every 3 weeks. Most recently, Prompted Journal was updated on November 2, 2026 and M.A. Books on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*