Comparison

CBT Diary vs Thought Journal

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

Head to head
About

CBT Diary

This app helps you understand your mind using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles. It guides you to identify negative thought patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and develop healthier perspectives in a private space. Export logs to share with your therapist for more productive sessions.

Highlights
  • Structured thought records
  • Therapy log export
  • Complete on-device privacy
  • Daily reflection reminders
  • Intuitive design
  • Identify negative thought patterns
Read full description

CBT Diary: track thoughts, build clarity Transform how you understand your mind with CBT Diary, a thoughtful tool based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles. Identify negative thought patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and develop healthier perspectives -- all in a private, judgment-free space. Key Features: Structured Thought Records: capture situations, automatic thoughts, emotions, and balanced responses using proven CBT techniques. Therapy Support: Export detailed logs to share with your therapist for more focused, productive sessions. Complete Privacy: All data stays on your device—nothing is uploaded or shared without your permission Reminders: Gentle daily prompts to build a sustainable reflection practice Clean, Intuitive Design: Simple interface that gets out of your way Whether you're working with a therapist or practicing self-reflection, CBT Diary helps you recognize patterns, challenge distortions, and build mental resilience.

About

Thought Journal

Read full description

Thought Journal is a structured journaling app for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Thought Journal goes back to the basics of CBT journaling, with no extra frills. By writing down a challenging situation that we've faced, along with our thoughts and feelings, we can examine any cognitive distortions or "unhelpful thinking styles" that we may be engaging in. By identifying these unhelpful thinking styles, we can begin to challenge and change them, and ultimately improve our well-being. Get started without jumping through hoops • No account creation; no personal data is collected from you • No paywalls; all features are available without paying a penny • No one can read what you write except you; your journal entries stay on your device only, with the option to back them up to your iCloud account • Permanently delete your all entries at any time Privacy policy: https://www.clarencechan.dev/assets/thought-journal-privacy.txt

Screenshots

CBT Diary4 screens
Thought Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thought Journal at every 2 weeks against CBT Diary's every 5 months. Thought Journal also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CBT Diary ships an update every 5 months, Thought Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CBT Diary versus Thought Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBT DiaryThought Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB23 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperVictor KravchenkoKa Chon Chan

In-app purchases

None

CBT Diary

No in-app purchases

None

Thought Journal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CBT Diary free?
CBT Diary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Thought Journal free?
Thought Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CBT Diary or Thought Journal have ads?
Neither CBT Diary nor Thought Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CBT Diary or Thought Journal?
CBT Diary ships an update every 5 months, and Thought Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, CBT Diary was updated on November 3, 2026 and Thought Journal on October 8, 2026.

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