Examined Self vs Reframe CBT Thought Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Examined Self
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Welcome to Examined Self — a journal for people who want more than just a place to write. It’s a system for thinking, helping you reflect on life’s important questions and apply time-tested wisdom to your own challenges and priorities. Your notes become the starting point for personalized insights that connect your thinking to philosophy, psychology, and powerful mental models — revealing deeper patterns as the system learns from your writing. Begin with a free trial. Continued access requires a subscription. --- WHAT MAKES EXAMINED SELF STAND OUT Many powerful ideas from philosophy, psychology, and decision science can change how we see our lives — but they often remain abstract. Examined Self aims to make those ideas practical and personal, helping people think more clearly about purpose, priorities, decisions, and how to live well. PERSONALIZED INSIGHTS FROM YOUR WRITING As you write, Examined Self generates insights and questions tailored to your notes — helping you see patterns in your thinking and approach challenges more clearly. APPLY TIME-TESTED WISDOM TO YOUR LIFE Ideas from philosophy, psychology, and decision science appear directly in your insights — connecting your writing to ideas that have guided thinkers, creators, and decision-makers for generations. A TIMELINE FOR YOUR THINKING Your writing builds into a timeline of key ideas and reflections, helping you see your thinking across time and return to what matters most. GUIDED BY A LIBRARY OF POWERFUL IDEAS Explore a growing library of concepts, mental models, and prompts designed to deepen reflection and support wiser decisions. INSPIRATION FROM REAL STORIES Learn from thinkers, creators, and historical figures whose stories illuminate your own path. --- SUBSCRIPTIONS & TERMS Examined Self offers a free trial so you can explore everything before subscribing. After the trial, continued use requires a subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account upon confirmation of purchase. You can manage or cancel anytime in your App Store settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://www.examinedself.app/privacy
Reframe CBT Thought Journal
This app offers a digital journal with AI-powered support for managing anxious thoughts. It guides users through cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to reframe negative thinking patterns and provides a space for freeform writing and reflection on personal values.
- AI-assisted thought reframing
- Guided CBT exercises
- Freeform journaling
- Mood and emotion tracking
- Value-based reflection
- On-device privacy for chats
- Crisis language detection
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Reframe is a CBT thought journal with an AI companion. Turn anxious, spiraling thoughts into balanced ones in a few minutes — not a few sessions. Write freely when you need the page. Work a structured cognitive behavioral therapy reframe when you need a method. Or just open Chat and talk it out. NEW — CHAT Talk through what's on your mind with a supportive AI companion grounded in CBT. It listens first, then helps you notice the patterns underneath and find a kinder way to see things. Replies stream in live, like texting a thoughtful friend. • Conversations are stored only on your device — never on our servers, never synced to iCloud • Delete any chat, or all of them, any time • 10 messages a day free; unlimited with Pro THE REFRAME WIZARD A guided CBT flow that takes a hard moment apart, one step at a time: • Situation — what actually happened • Automatic thoughts — catch what your mind said • Emotions — name them and rate how strong they were • The reframe — an AI-assisted, more balanced way to see it • Outcome — notice what shifted JOURNAL YOUR WAY • Freeform writing when you just want an empty page • Guided reflection when you want the structure • Tag a feeling and a category, or don't • Photo attachments, a calendar view, and your full entry history VALUES Journal against what actually matters to you — relationships, health, work, growth — and see which parts of your life you've been tending and which you've been skipping. YOUR PATTERNS Streaks, entries this week, and your most-journaled category, right on the home screen. Progress you can see without it becoming another chore. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Your entries are yours — no ads, and your journal content is never sent to analytics • Chats never leave your device • Sign in with Apple — nothing else required SAFETY FIRST Reframe detects crisis language on-device and responds immediately with real support resources, before anything is sent anywhere. FREE & PRO Free — 3 AI reframes a day, 10 chat messages a day, unlimited journaling Pro — unlimited reframes and unlimited chat Reframe is a self-reflection tool built on widely studied CBT techniques. It is not therapy, and it is not a substitute for professional care. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis line. Terms of Use: https://reframe-journal-web.vercel.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
Examined Self and Reframe CBT Thought Journal are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Examined Self sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Reframe CBT Thought Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Examined Self | Reframe CBT Thought Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pedro Vasconcelos | PLATON APPLICATIONS LLC |
In-app purchases
Examined Self
- Examined Self Premium – Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Premium Subscription Monthly3 Days trial$11.991 Month
- Premium Subscription Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Reframe CBT Thought Journal
- Reframe Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
- Reframe Pro Yearly$20.001 Year
Questions
Is Examined Self free?
Is Reframe CBT Thought Journal free?
Do Examined Self or Reframe CBT Thought Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Examined Self or Reframe CBT Thought Journal?
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