# Elephant Journal vs Aethera

The clearest difference is monetization model: Aethera at free against Elephant Journal's free with in-app purchases. Aethera also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 84%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Elephant Journal's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 19). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elephant Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Aethera sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Elephant Journal against 4.9 for Aethera. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elephant Journal has 14K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Elephant Journal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aethera's.

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Aethera fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elephant Journal | Aethera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-journal/id1475514543/reviews) | [4.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aethera-return-to-harmony/id6754289487/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Elephant Journal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475514542) | [Ossirus LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1847679306) |

## 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


### Aethera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aethera-return-to-harmony/id6754289487)

Experience short, immersive sound and visual healing sessions designed to bring calm and clarity. Share how you feel, and receive a personalized audiovisual experience to help you return to your day with greater balance.

**Highlights:** Immersive sound and visual healing experiences, Personalized Moments based on your feelings, 2-5 minute sessions, Over 120 unique healing tones, Original compositions and stunning visuals, No account required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aethera Monthly | $10.00 | per month |
| Aethera Annual | $77.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elephant Journal free?

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

### Is Aethera free?

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

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

Elephant Journal and Aethera are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 14K and 19 ratings respectively.

### Do Elephant Journal or Aethera have ads?

Neither Elephant Journal nor Aethera shows ads.

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

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aethera fortnightly. Most recently, Elephant Journal was updated on October 17, 2026 and Aethera on October 2, 2026.

---

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