# baseline vs Pixels

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: baseline at none against Pixels's 5. Pixels's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (97% vs 86%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. baseline asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for baseline against 4.8 for Pixels. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 44 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of baseline's written reviews are positive against 97% of Pixels's.

baseline ships an update every 3 weeks, Pixels every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | baseline | Pixels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baseline-a-better-journal/id1621132298/reviews) | **[4.8 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixels-mood-tracker-and-journal/id1668460700/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **115** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | 86.1% of reviews | **96.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [baseline health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1366944396) | [Teo Vogel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481910140) |

## What reviewers say

### baseline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baseline-a-better-journal/id1621132298)

This app offers a distraction-free journaling experience to help you understand your emotions and improve mental well-being. Track your mood, reflect on your feelings, and gain insights through weekly surveys and visualizations. Your data is encrypted and secured with a passphrase.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free journaling, Mood tracking with two scales, Upload pictures and screenshots, Journaling and mood log reminders, Weekly mental health surveys, Mood change visualizations, Passphrase data lock, Financial support fund

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Free and no ads
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 Useful for self-expression and authenticity
- 👍 Helps appreciate small moments and cope with bad times
- 👍 Great for writers who never journaled before

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hourly logging reminders delete old ones
- 🐛 Fails to support basic use case of multiple reminders
- 🐛 Internet connection issues causing data loss
- 🐛 Audio recordings erased when internet fails
- 🐛 Basic features, wishes for more solutions

**Reported bugs**

- Hourly logging reminders delete old ones after the 11th
- App tells user they are not connected to the internet when they are
- Audio recordings are erased instead of saved when internet connection fails
- Blank white screen after opening app through notification and writing an entry
- Entries deleted without warning

**Requested features**

- AI short summary of rants with generalized headlines
- Sort notes by topic/category and tags
- Aesthetic themes for personalization
- Ability to edit recent logs
- More interactive features like emoticons or affirmations


### Pixels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixels-mood-tracker-and-journal/id1668460700)

This app helps you track your daily mood and emotions by turning them into a visual map of color. You can record your mood with a tap, add details with subpixels and custom tags, and use it as a companion for therapy. It offers a private and minimalist experience with no ads.

**Highlights:** Visual mood map, Daily pixel color entries, Subpixel tracking for mood variations, Custom tags and notes, Therapy companion tool, Minimalist and private design

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixels Cloud+ | $1.99 | per month |
| Pixels Cloud+ | $1.99 | per month |
| Pixels Cloud+ | $21.99 | per year |
| Pixels Cloud+ | $21.99 | per year |
| Pixels+ | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is baseline free?

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

### Is Pixels free?

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

### Which has better reviews, baseline or Pixels?

Pixels is rated higher. baseline averages 4.7 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Pixels averages 4.8 from 44 ratings.

### Do baseline or Pixels have ads?

Neither baseline nor Pixels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, baseline or Pixels?

baseline ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pixels every 11 days. Most recently, baseline was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pixels on October 24, 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.*