# Dharma Seed vs Elephant Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dharma Seed at none against Elephant Journal's 4. Elephant Journal's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 11 months). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Dharma Seed asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elephant Journal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elephant Journal has 14K ratings behind it against 80, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Dharma Seed's written reviews are positive against 84% of Elephant Journal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, Elephant Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dharma Seed | Elephant Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dharma-seed/id507779665/reviews) | **[4.9 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-journal/id1475514543/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 80 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 83.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **26.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dharma Seed Tape Library, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/507779668) | [Elephant Journal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475514542) |

## What reviewers say

### Dharma Seed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dharma-seed/id507779665)

Access a vast library of dharma talks and guided meditations. Stream content, download for offline listening, and search by keyword or teacher. Support teachers through donations.

**Highlights:** Stream dharma talks and guided meditations, Download talks for offline playback, Search talks by keyword and teacher, Browse recent talks, View previously played talks, Support teachers via donations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Vast library of talks
- 💎 Invaluable resource
- 🙏 Grateful for free content
- ✨ Wonderful app
- 💡 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Clunky and antiquated interface
- 🤔 Lacking modern features
- 📉 No longer opens
- 🚫 App not loading
- 🪲 Faulty tech

**Reported bugs**

- Never completes install
- Stalls at 90%
- Unable to complete app download
- No longer opens on iPhone
- App isn't opening at all

**Requested features**

- Add a favorite/like button for talks
- Support for playlists
- Follow authors/teachers
- Transcripts
- Ability to download talks


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dharma Seed free?

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

### Is Elephant Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dharma Seed or Elephant Journal?

Elephant Journal is rated higher. Dharma Seed averages 4.4 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while Elephant Journal averages 4.9 from 14K ratings.

### Do Dharma Seed or Elephant Journal have ads?

Neither Dharma Seed nor Elephant Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dharma Seed or Elephant Journal?

Dharma Seed ships an update every 11 months, and Elephant Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dharma Seed was updated on October 26, 2026 and Elephant Journal on October 31, 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.*