# Elephant Journal vs Buddhability

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Buddhability at none against Elephant Journal's 4. Buddhability also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Elephant Journal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (14K vs 28). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Elephant Journal against 4.9 for Buddhability. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elephant Journal has 14K ratings behind it against 28, 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 78% of Buddhability's.

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Buddhability every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elephant Journal | Buddhability |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-journal/id1475514543/reviews) | **[4.9 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddhability/id6762312264/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **83.7% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Elephant Journal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475514542) | [Soka Gakkai International - USA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1158895737) |

## 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


### Buddhability

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddhability/id6762312264)

Access daily inspiration, guided Buddhist chanting, and an AI-powered chat for Buddhist wisdom. Engage in courses, challenges, and connect with friends to support your personal growth journey.

**Highlights:** Daily inspiration and wisdom, Guided Buddhist chanting with progress tracking, AI-powered Buddhist Q&A, Social features for friends and encouragement, Courses and challenges for personal development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elephant Journal free?

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

### Is Buddhability free?

Buddhability is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Buddhability is rated higher. Elephant Journal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Buddhability averages 4.9 from 28 ratings.

### Do Elephant Journal or Buddhability have ads?

Buddhability shows ads; Elephant Journal does not.

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

Elephant Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Buddhability every 10 days. Most recently, Elephant Journal was updated on October 20, 2026 and Buddhability on October 13, 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.*