# AltoThought vs Cognitive Diary

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Cognitive Diary at 16.4 against AltoThought's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AltoThought sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Cognitive Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AltoThought ships an update monthly, Cognitive Diary fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AltoThought | Cognitive Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altothought/id1620703133/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 13 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Frank Solleveld](https://appshunter.io/developer/1255835676) | [Vitalii Kovalov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864691271) |

## What reviewers say

### AltoThought

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altothought/id1620703133)

This app helps you reframe negative thoughts and develop a healthier mindset. It guides you through identifying thoughts, exploring alternative perspectives, and tracking your emotional progress. It's a tool to enhance your cognitive processes and achieve a more balanced outlook.

**Highlights:** Identify and log negative thoughts, Explore alternative perspectives, Track emotional evolution, Enhance cognitive processes, Develop balanced thought patterns

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coffee XL | $2.99 | one-time |
| Donation | $3.99 | one-time |
| Donation XL | $8.99 | one-time |


### Cognitive Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognitive-diary/id6757118591)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO | $0.99 | per month |
| PRO | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AltoThought free?

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

### Is Cognitive Diary free?

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

### Do AltoThought or Cognitive Diary have ads?

Neither AltoThought nor Cognitive Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AltoThought or Cognitive Diary?

AltoThought ships an update monthly, and Cognitive Diary fortnightly. Most recently, AltoThought was updated on October 3, 2026 and Cognitive Diary on September 28, 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.*