Comparison

Elephant Journal vs PhoneToBook

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Elephant Journal

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
Read full description

From Meditation to Relationships, Family to Environmental Tips, Yoga and Meditation to Travel and Recipes—we cover all the issues and topics that matter with a sense of humor and journalistic integrity—cutting through fads and making fun of spiritual materialism. Our app is simple: it’s not here to clutter your life, but to help open it up. Most apps we enjoy fill the gaps in our lives—whether in line or in a waiting room, or at a restaurant waiting for a friend or colleague to return. Elephant offers space and inspiration within this busyness, enabling us to return to our basic goodness with knowledge and empathy. Every day, check our Front Page for uplifted discussions and new articles, videos and podcasts. Then, your reading, hearting, sharing, and commenting directly increase the article's score, helping that author “win,” get paid by our mindful community, and get featured on our Front Page. FRONT PAGE: A clear scrollable display of our community’s favorite articles, timely issues, and editor’s picks. Scroll ’til you find something that inspires you. TOPICS: Browse articles by category (Yoga, Family, Green, Politics, Recipes…), bookmark those you love, and snooze the ones you don’t. NOTIFICATIONS: See if someone replies to your comment, get alerts from writers who you follow, and find our best new articles. SEARCH: Find that article or subject you’re curious about, and see other trending searches HEART: Tap the “heart” icon on your favorite articles to boost their score to help the issue get featured on our Front Page and increase the author’s chances of winning our weekly Ecosystem payout. COMMENT: Join the uplifted discussions happening on each story to increase the article’s score and create mindful community. SHARE: Share your favorite articles with your network, directly from the app. SUBSCRIBE: You can read two articles free, every day—if you want to read unlimited articles, and see fewer ads, you can subscribe for $3/month (billed annually at $36/year). You can cancel your renewal at any time from the Account Settings of your device at least 24 hours before your renewal date. Questions? Feedback? Confused? Contact our Support at: elephantjournal.com/support We respect your Privacy: elephantjournal.com/privacy Elephant’s Terms of Service: elephantjournal.com/terms-of-service/

About

PhoneToBook

Features
Read full description

PhoneToBook turns the photos on your phone into a professionally printed photo book - delivered straight to your door. Whether it's a family vacation, a milestone birthday, a wedding, or everyday moments you never want to forget, PhoneToBook makes it easy to create a keepsake you'll treasure for years. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick your photos from your phone's library. 2. Choose your book size and page count. 3. Customize your cover and add a title. 4. Enter your shipping address and pay securely via PayPal. 5. Your book is printed and shipped to you. CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK Page Options - Select the product that fits your story, from compact albums to large-format books. Hard Cover - Choose from a curated palette of premium cover colors, each with a full-size preview before you decide. Soft Cover - Use your own photos for both the front and back cover for a completely personal touch. Title & Subtitle - Give your book a name that means something. EASY PHOTO SELECTION Browse and select your photos directly from your device's gallery. Add, remove, and preview your selections before placing your order. The app keeps your choices saved so you can come back anytime. ORDER TRACKING Follow your order from the moment you place it to the moment it ships. Real-time status updates - pending, paid, processing, and complete - are all visible inside the app. Photo upload happens automatically in the background after payment, so you don't have to wait around. SUPPORT & INSPIRATION Browse blog posts and tips for making the perfect photo book. Find answers fast with the built-in FAQ covering ordering, payment, and shipping. Reach our customer support team directly from the app. SECURE & SIMPLE Sign in instantly with Apple or Google — no passwords to remember. Payments processed securely via PayPal. Your shipping info is saved from your last order for faster checkout next time. Start with the photos already on your phone. End with a book worth keeping.

Screenshots

Elephant Journal4 screens
PhoneToBook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PhoneToBook at none against Elephant Journal's 4. PhoneToBook also leads on iOS requirement (17 vs 26.0). Elephant Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Elephant Journal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. PhoneToBook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, PhoneToBook every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Elephant Journal versus PhoneToBook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElephant JournalPhoneToBook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB19 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperElephant JournalDaeseung Choi

Bugs and requests

Elephant Journal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription cancellation button not working
  • Articles not loading properly
  • Inconsistent reading limits

Requested features

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

PhoneToBook

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Elephant Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Elephant Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Elephant Subscription$35.991 Year
One-time2
  • Article Boost$2.99
  • Big Article Boost$9.99
None

PhoneToBook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Elephant Journal free?
Elephant Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhoneToBook free?
PhoneToBook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Elephant Journal or PhoneToBook have ads?
Neither Elephant Journal nor PhoneToBook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Elephant Journal or PhoneToBook?
Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and PhoneToBook every 3 months. Most recently, Elephant Journal was updated on November 9, 2026 and PhoneToBook on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons