# Daily Journal vs Shadow Work

The clearest difference is update cadence: Daily Journal at fortnightly against Shadow Work's every 6 months. Daily Journal also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Daily Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Daily Journal against 5.0 for Shadow Work. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Daily Journal ships an update fortnightly, Shadow Work every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Daily Journal | Shadow Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-shadow-work/id6520106479/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-prompts-and-journal/id6762054437/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 54 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Birdbath LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604497132) | [Souhayb Kamal Dine](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871701232) |

## What reviewers say

### Daily Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-journal-shadow-work/id6520106479)

This app guides users through emotional exploration and self-reflection with a focus on creative writing. It offers scheduled notifications to encourage consistent journaling and a simple interface for exploring past, present, and future thoughts.

**Highlights:** Emotional exploration, Self-reflection prompts, Creative writing exercises, Scheduled journaling notifications, Intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Zafa Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Zafa Annual | $19.99 | per year |


### Shadow Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-prompts-and-journal/id6762054437)

This guided journal helps you explore your inner self through courageous prompts and mood tracking. It offers a structured path for self-reflection, focusing on confronting, integrating, and transforming personal challenges without external distractions.

**Highlights:** Guided shadow work prompts, Daily free prompt, Premium prompt library, Mood tracking, Private reflection archive, Progress insights, Daily reflection reminders

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow Pro — Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Shadow Pro — Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Daily Journal free?

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

### Is Shadow Work free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Daily Journal or Shadow Work?

Daily Journal and Shadow Work are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Daily Journal or Shadow Work have ads?

Neither Daily Journal nor Shadow Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Daily Journal or Shadow Work?

Daily Journal ships an update fortnightly, and Shadow Work every 6 months. Most recently, Daily Journal was updated on October 30, 2026 and Shadow Work 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.*