Comparison

Examined Self vs Beatwired

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

Head to head
About

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

About

Beatwired

Features
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Beatwired is a rhythm-based regulation tool for ADHD brains. No drums required. A pillow and ten minutes will do. A session is simple. Check in with how you're feeling: overwhelmed, balanced, or under-stimulated. Get a drum pattern matched to it. Watch it played on video, then practice with a steady click and a rhythm grid, on whatever is in front of you. Thighs, a tabletop, a pillow. A practice pad if you have one. A drum kit if one lives in your house. Every session runs about ten minutes, with a good stopping point near the halfway mark, and you can stop whenever you’re done. Built for people who have quit a hundred apps. Missing a day costs nothing: your total minutes only count up, and coming back after a gap is met with "You're back. New streak starts now." No drumming experience needed. Nothing to perform. WHAT'S IN THE APP • A library of 18 patterns, filmed overhead: pad, kit, and hands • A steady click at tempos chosen for each pattern • A three-state check-in that shapes the session • A rhythm grid that shows each pattern as your two hands, no notation required • Progress that counts up: total minutes, patterns found, and a gentle day streak FREE AND PRO The free tier is a complete daily practice. Beatwired Pro adds the full pattern library, every pattern on pad, kit, and hands: $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month, after a 7-day free trial. No countdowns, no expiring offers. It costs the same tomorrow. WHAT BEATWIRED IS NOT Beatwired is not a medical treatment. It does not treat ADHD or any health condition, and it is not a substitute for medication, therapy, or care. The research on rhythm and ADHD is young; we grade it honestly, including what is not yet proven, at beatwired.com/science. Beatwired itself has not been studied. SAFETY Beatwired asks for your hands and your attention. Never use it while driving or operating machinery. Beatwired’s practice grid pulses gently in time with the click. If you’re sensitive to flashing or pulsing visuals, talk with your doctor before using it — and turn on your device’s Reduce Motion setting, which Beatwired honors. Beatwired comes from a father and son. The father, a lifelong drummer and a physician of nearly twenty years, started teaching his son the drums at age three. The son grew up with ADHD. Interests came and went. The drums stayed. Your brain was made for this. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.beatwired.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Examined Self4 screens
Beatwired4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Beatwired at 15.1 against Examined Self's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Examined Self sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Beatwired sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Examined Self ships an update every 3 weeks, Beatwired every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Examined Self versus Beatwired: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExamined SelfBeatwired
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPedro VasconcelosMOIRA BETH BATEMAN

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Examined Self

Subscriptions3
  • 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
2 purchases

Beatwired

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Examined Self free?
Examined Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Beatwired free?
Beatwired is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Examined Self or Beatwired have ads?
Neither Examined Self nor Beatwired shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Examined Self or Beatwired?
Examined Self ships an update every 3 weeks, and Beatwired every 11 days. Most recently, Examined Self was updated on October 28, 2026 and Beatwired on October 29, 2026.

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