Comparison

Thought Journal vs ThoughtBeam

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

Head to head
About

Thought Journal

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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 โ€ข No account creation; no personal data is collected from you โ€ข No paywalls; all features are available without paying a penny โ€ข 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 โ€ข Permanently delete your all entries at any time Privacy policy: https://www.clarencechan.dev/assets/thought-journal-privacy.txt

About

ThoughtBeam

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Random thoughts. Meet clarity. A passing thought. A voice note. A photo worth keeping. Capture it in the moment. ThoughtBeam automatically brings the pieces together into a daily ThoughtBundle, ready whenever you want to look back. No need to write everything at the end of the day or organize your entries yourself. Come back when you want to remember, reflect or make sense of what you recorded. CAPTURE YOUR WAY Tap a thought bubble, type a few words, record your voice or add a photo. Log a mood when you want to. Choose the format that fits the moment. YOUR DAY COMES TOGETHER AUTOMATICALLY Your saved entries are grouped by day in a ThoughtBundle. Revisit your notes, thoughts, photos, recordings and mood check-ins together. Your original words stay at the heart of the bundle. FIND A THOUGHT AGAIN Use Search to return to saved entries and the details you recorded. Bring a half-remembered moment back into view with its original context. MAKE ROOM TO REFLECT Follow Self Reflection prompts and put an experience into your own words. Return to your responses in your own time. AUTOMATIC SUMMARIES. ILLUSTRATED DAYS. Optional paid features add automatic daily summaries and AI-generated cover images. Summaries offer a short account of your saved entries, while covers add a symbolic illustration. Generated content can be inaccurate, so check it against your original entries. MEET BEAM BOY Beam Boy is your little purple companion in ThoughtBeam, a familiar face as you capture and revisit your day. Capture the moment. Your day comes together. ThoughtBeam supports personal journaling and reflection. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent medical conditions. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://thoughtbeam.synapsis-x.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Thought Journal4 screens
ThoughtBeam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thought Journal at none against ThoughtBeam's 4. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. ThoughtBeam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Thought Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thought Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, ThoughtBeam fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Thought Journal versus ThoughtBeam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThought JournalThoughtBeam
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks โ€” betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better16.4
Further details โ€” not scored
Size23 MB145 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperKa Chon ChanSynapsis Medical Technologies Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Thought Journal

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ThoughtBeam

Subscriptions2
  • Thoughtbeam Monthly Premium2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Thoughtbeam Yearly Premium2 variants$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Thought Journal free?
Thought Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ThoughtBeam free?
ThoughtBeam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Thought Journal or ThoughtBeam have ads?
Neither Thought Journal nor ThoughtBeam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thought Journal or ThoughtBeam?
Thought Journal ships an update every 2 weeks, and ThoughtBeam fortnightly. Most recently, Thought Journal was updated on October 8, 2026 and ThoughtBeam on October 30, 2026.

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