Comparison

Self vs Wise Journal

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

Head to head
About

Self

This app helps you conduct self-experiments to understand the impact of behavioral changes on your health, wellness, and productivity. It provides tools to set up trials, track outcomes, and gain personalized insights through automated analysis and daily reminders.

Highlights
  • Conduct self-experiments
  • Track behavioral outcomes
  • Gain personalized insights
  • Automated statistical analysis
  • Daily check-in reminders
  • Data-driven self-improvement
Features
Read full description

Self-experimentation is the process of conducting trials where you are both the researcher and the subject. Through modifying your behaviors and reporting outcomes, you can gain concrete insights into the efficacy of whatever self-improvement you seek to make. Self-experimentation is a data-driven way to gain ultra-personal insights into the driving factors behind your health, wellness, and productivity. Through Self-E, you can set up experiments, view your data, and attain individualized insights through automated statistical analysis. Self-E sends daily reminders to check in so that your experiment stays consistent and structured.

About

Wise Journal

This AI-powered app acts as a personal guide for self-discovery, helping you uncover hidden talents, passions, and purpose through insightful journaling prompts and exercises. It aims to boost confidence, foster self-awareness, and cultivate a more positive mindset.

Highlights
  • AI-powered journaling prompts
  • Uncover hidden talents and passions
  • Develop self-awareness
  • Cultivate positive mindset
  • Overcome self-doubt
  • Personal growth companion
Features
Read full description

Wise Journal is the journaling app that talks back — a personal AI guide that remembers your story, asks the right questions, and helps you actually understand yourself. NEVER FACE A BLANK PAGE Morning and evening reflections are ready and waiting, so you always have somewhere to start. AN AI THAT LISTENS AND REMEMBERS Write freely and get thoughtful responses from a guide that remembers what matters to you — your goals, your patterns, the things you're working through. SEE THE PATTERNS IN YOUR OWN WORDS Every week, Wise turns your entries into a real report: word counts, mood trends, and the themes quietly running through your life — plus a few things you might not have noticed yourself. BUILD A HABIT THAT ACTUALLY STICKS Streaks, milestones, and a garden that grows every time you show up, so journaling becomes something you want to keep doing. EVERY ENTRY, ALWAYS YOURS Search your whole history and watch your own growth take shape over weeks and months — private, and entirely your own. Ready to get to know yourself a little better? Download Wise Journal and start today. ---- TERMS Premium features are available with a subscription. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can cancel your subscription anytime. Privacy Policy: https://wisejournal.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://wisejournal.app/terms

Screenshots

Self4 screens
Wise Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Self at 5.0 against Wise Journal's 4.2. Self also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Wise Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Self asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Self ships an update every 6 weeks, Wise Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Self versus Wise Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSelfWise Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.514.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrown University Computing & Information ServicesUofHappy, LLC

Customer experience

Self

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Wise Journal

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Self

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Wise Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Wise Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Wise Yearly$35.991 Year

Questions

Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wise Journal free?
Wise Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Self or Wise Journal?
Self is rated higher. Self averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Wise Journal averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do Self or Wise Journal have ads?
Neither Self nor Wise Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Self or Wise Journal?
Self ships an update every 6 weeks, and Wise Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Self was updated on October 10, 2026 and Wise Journal on October 19, 2026.

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