# Elephant Journal vs Happier

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elephant Journal at 84% against Happier's 22%. Elephant Journal also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (14K vs 57). Happier's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elephant Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Happier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Elephant Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elephant Journal has 14K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Elephant Journal's written reviews are positive against 22% of Happier's.

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Happier every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elephant Journal | Happier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-journal/id1475514543/reviews)** | [3.9 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happier/id1555961966/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **83.7% of reviews** | 22.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Elephant Journal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475514542) | [Keyboard, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450028864) |

## What reviewers say

### Elephant Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-journal/id1475514543)

Explore mindful living through articles, videos, and podcasts on topics like meditation, relationships, and environmental tips. Engage with content, support authors, and join discussions to foster a sense of community and personal growth.

**Highlights:** Daily Front Page updates, Browse articles by topic, Comment and share content, Heart articles to boost scores, Follow favorite writers, Receive notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Elephant Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Elephant Subscription | $35.99 | per year |
| Article Boost | $2.99 | one-time |
| Big Article Boost | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Nice app
- 🙏 Insightful and inspiring content
- 📚 Diverse range of topics
- 🤗 Thoughtful and engaging articles
- 💡 Valuable resource for personal growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Restrictive reading limits
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Issues with cancelling subscription
- 🤔 Sudden change in content quality

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription cancellation button not working
- Articles not loading properly
- Inconsistent reading limits

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Implement a 'read later' feature
- Improve navigation and article tracking
- Increase free article limits


### Happier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happier/id1555961966)

Discover personalized tools and daily guidance to cultivate a happier life. This app helps you identify what brings you joy and build sustainable habits through flexible tracking methods and fun challenges. It adapts to your unique personality and goals for lasting self-improvement.

**Highlights:** Daily content and reflection prompts, Flexible habit tracking methods, Personalized recommendations based on personality, Fun, quick challenges, 7-day habit Jump-Starts, Self-improvement and personal growth focus

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎡 Fun spinning wheel feature for 5-minute challenges
- 📱 Beautiful and intuitive design
- ✍️ Multiple tracking methods (photos, journals, numbers)
- 💡 Personalized content based on Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies
- 🎯 Effective habit tracking and accountability tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($7.99-$10/month or $80-$100/year)
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 🔐 Persistent login and authentication problems
- ❌ Cannot edit or backdate entries after creation
- 🚫 Limited free version (only 1 active aim allowed)

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes and prevents app access
- App stuck on subscription page in endless loop
- Password validation rejects valid passwords
- App crashes repeatedly on launch
- Daily quote doesn't update to new day

**Requested features**

- Ability to backdate or edit entries for past days
- Calendar view to see progress over time
- Support for multiple tracking methods simultaneously (journal AND photo)
- Ability to edit aims after creation
- More flexible aim scheduling (specific times, days of week)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elephant Journal free?

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

### Is Happier free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elephant Journal or Happier?

Elephant Journal is rated higher. Elephant Journal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Happier averages 3.9 from 57 ratings.

### Do Elephant Journal or Happier have ads?

Neither Elephant Journal nor Happier shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elephant Journal or Happier?

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Happier every 4 weeks. Most recently, Elephant Journal was updated on October 26, 2026 and Happier on October 21, 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.*