# Empathy Set vs Shadow Work

Empathy Set and Shadow Work both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Empathy Set's written reviews are positive against 59% of Shadow Work's. Shadow Work's advantage is ratings volume (342 vs 9) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Empathy Set sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Shadow Work sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 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 — 4.7 for Empathy Set against 4.7 for Shadow Work. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadow Work has 342 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Empathy Set's written reviews are positive against 59% of Shadow Work's.

Empathy Set ships an update every 2 months, Shadow Work every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Empathy Set | Shadow Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empathy-set-feelings-and-needs/id1570154720/reviews) | **[4.7 (342 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-mindberg/id6446803413/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **342** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 59.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [John Ford](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570154722) | [Mindberg doo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679173062) |

## What reviewers say

### Empathy Set

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empathy-set-feelings-and-needs/id1570154720)

This app helps you understand and express your emotions and needs, fostering deeper connections with yourself and others. It offers tools for self-reflection, empathic communication, and collaborative problem-solving, based on Nonviolent Communication principles.

**Highlights:** Understand your feelings and needs, Develop empathy for others, Engage in constructive conversations, Craft I-Statements, Brainstorm mutually beneficial solutions, Utilize structured feedback tools, Interactive journaling

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| 500 Points | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Points | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime usage | $18.99 | one-time |
| 4000 Points | $19.99 | one-time |
| 7500 points | $29.99 | one-time |
| 30000 points | $79.99 | one-time |


### Shadow Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-mindberg/id6446803413)

Explore your unconscious patterns and hidden archetypes to understand self-sabotage and repeated behaviors. Engage in daily prompts, receive direct answers to your deepest questions, and interpret dreams with psychological depth. Understand the roots of addiction and navigate personal growth cycles.

**Highlights:** Shadow assessment and archetype mapping, Daily reflective prompts, Direct shadow question answering, Jungian dream interpretation, Psychology of addiction exploration, Growth cycle guidance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Mindberg- Monthly Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Mindberg - 6 Months | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription Special | $99.99 | per year |
| Mindberg – Annual with Trial | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription Offer | $249.99 | per year |
| 1 Token | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Tokens | $3.99 | one-time |
| Shadow Work Integration | $99.00 | one-time |
| Shadow Work Integration | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Deep root cause analysis
- 👍 Excellent listening and chat feature
- 🚀 Tremendous personal growth
- 🌟 Clarity, confidence, and growth
- 💎 Game-changing for inner work

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Generic and AI-like content
- 😵 Incongruent and nonsensical metaphors
- 💸 No free trial offered
- 🎨 Depressing and scary UI/logo
- 🐛 App quits/backs out unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- App quits/backs out unexpectedly
- App doesn't work some days
- Dreams stuck on interpretation
- Lost all tokens
- Tokens taken but no response

**Requested features**

- App available in French
- Better UI/UX design
- More comforting app experience
- Clearer explanation of app usage
- Option to export dream logs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Empathy Set free?

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

### Is Shadow Work free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Empathy Set or Shadow Work?

Shadow Work is rated higher. Empathy Set averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Shadow Work averages 4.7 from 342 ratings.

### Do Empathy Set or Shadow Work have ads?

Neither Empathy Set nor Shadow Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Empathy Set or Shadow Work?

Empathy Set ships an update every 2 months, and Shadow Work every 3 months. Most recently, Empathy Set was updated on October 20, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 17, 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.*