Comparison

Self vs Mastermind

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

Head to head
About

Self

This app guides users through self-improvement techniques like journaling, affirmations, and physical exercise. It aims to foster self-awareness and personal growth through various strategies. Access to all content requires a subscription.

Highlights
  • Journaling for pattern discovery
  • Daily affirmations for focus
  • Physical exercise guidance
  • Reading recommendations
  • Encourages trying new things
  • Promotes self-awareness
Features
Read full description

Self-improvement is the improvement of one’s knowledge, status, or character by one’s own efforts. It’s the quest to make ourselves better in any and every facet of life. Self-improvement involves awareness, new learnings, discoveries about who we are and what makes us unique, and many insights and moments in which we see life and situations clearly. Self-improvement strategies: - Reading: books are great companions in our self-development journey, no matter what we want to improve. - Journaling: keeping a journal with regularity lets us discover patterns and recurring ideas. - Affirmations: daily affirmations let us deliberately focus on what we care about and bring more of it into our days. - Physical exercise: the body is an excellent source of information, and it constantly signals us what it needs. - Choose your words: what we say and how we say it is the first step to understanding ourselves better! - Do something for the first time: get out of your comfort zone and try out something new. Self-improvement almost always starts with self-awareness and the ability to transform your habits. The process of continual development connects us deeply to our essence. The people that choose self-improvement have powerful energy. They develop life principles, which provide a solid ground to stand on when hard days come. SUBSCRIPTIONS: -Your subscription will grant you unlimited access to all content for the duration of your subscription. -Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase
 -Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period
 -Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal
 -Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase
 -Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable
 -By using this app, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/paulvi-app-bible/ and https://sites.google.com/view/paulvi-app-terms-conditions/ *Prices are equal to the value that "Apple's App Store Matrix" determines is the equivalent subscription price in $USD.

About

Mastermind

This app provides a personalized habit-building system based on behavioral psychology. It assesses your needs, creates a scalable habit sequence, and offers daily coaching and progress tracking to foster lasting life changes.

Highlights
  • Personalized habit assessment
  • Progressive habit scaling
  • Daily coaching and insights
  • Real-time progress tracking
  • Gamified progress system
  • Evidence-based habit library
Read full description

Struggling with consistency or direction? Mastermind offers a personalized habit-building system to help you transform your life in 90 days. More than just a habit tracker—it's your personal development companion designed for lasting change. HOW MASTERMIND WORKS 1. Personalized Assessment Complete our psychology-based quiz covering Focus, Discipline, Physical Health, Confidence, Wisdom, and Relationships. Mastermind creates a custom habit sequence tailored to your current performance and goals. 2. Progressive Habit Building Start with manageable daily habits that automatically scale in difficulty. Each week introduces new challenges while building on your existing progress, preventing overwhelm and ensuring sustainable growth. 3. Daily Coaching & Insights Receive personalized daily insights and micro-adjustments based on your progress. Smart prompts adapt to your performance levels, providing strategic guidance when you need it most. 4. Real-Time Progress Tracking Monitor your improvement across all life dimensions with detailed analytics. See your percentile ranking compared to others in your demographic and watch it climb week by week. WHY MASTERMIND WORKS Science-Based Approach Built on behavioral psychology and proven habit formation research. Our progressive overload system uses the same principles that help professional athletes achieve peak performance. 25+ Evidence-Based Habits Choose from morning, daytime, and evening routines including meditation, exercise, reading, sleep optimization, social media limits, journaling, and relationship building—all timed for maximum impact. Gamified Progress System Earn XP points, unlock achievements, and celebrate milestones. Your personal progress tree grows with every positive choice, making self-improvement genuinely addictive. Beautiful, Intuitive Design Clean interface optimized for daily use with quick-add functionality, dark mode, and seamless device syncing. Built for busy schedules and real-world consistency. PERFECT FOR Anyone who has struggled with consistency in self-improvement, tried other habit apps without lasting results, or seeks a systematic approach to personal development. Whether you're a professional seeking peak performance or someone ready to make serious positive changes. WHAT OUR USERS ARE SAYING "Finally, a habit app that actually understands my psychology. The personalized approach makes all the difference." "I've tried dozens of habit trackers. Mastermind is the first one that's helped me build habits that actually stick long-term." "The progressive difficulty scaling is genius. I never feel overwhelmed, but I'm always being challenged to grow." "Seeing my percentile ranking improve week by week keeps me incredibly motivated. It's like having a personal scoreboard for life." ——————— SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TERMS Mastermind offers full access to all features, including personalized daily quests, custom insights, and mastery tracking, through a premium subscription plan. If you choose to purchase a subscription, payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store settings. Before subscribing, you’ll be able to preview your personalized plan and explore limited features. A subscription is required to unlock the full experience. Mastermind is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. It provides general guidance to support self-improvement, productivity, and personal growth. Please consult a qualified professional if you are seeking medical, psychological, or therapeutic support. Use of the app is subject to your own discretion and unique needs. Privacy Policy: https://www.withmastermind.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://www.withmastermind.com/terms

Screenshots

Self3 screens
Mastermind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Self at 100% against Mastermind's 64%. Self also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Mastermind's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Self sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Mastermind sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastermind has 53 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Self's written reviews are positive against 64% of Mastermind's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Self ships an update every 12 months, Mastermind monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Self versus Mastermind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSelfMastermind
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.6 (53 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better63.6% of reviews
Number of ratings153 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB75 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPavel VinnikMYKS Labs Inc.

Customer experience

Self

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mastermind

All ratings53 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.4%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Self

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Subscription$6.991 Month
  • 1 Year Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Self-improvement$29.99
9 purchases

Mastermind

Subscriptions9
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$9.997 Days
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$14.991 Month
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$19.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$29.991 Year
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$34.993 Months
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement$39.991 Year
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Mastermind: Self Improvement7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mastermind free?
Mastermind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Self or Mastermind?
Self is rated higher. Self averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Mastermind averages 4.6 from 53 ratings.
Do Self or Mastermind have ads?
Self shows ads; Mastermind does not.
Which is updated more often, Self or Mastermind?
Self ships an update every 12 months, and Mastermind monthly. Most recently, Self was updated on September 21, 2026 and Mastermind on September 23, 2026.

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