# Reflect vs Philo

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Reflect at none against Philo's 2. Reflect also leads on iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). Philo's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Philo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Reflect asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reflect ships an update every 6 months, Philo weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reflect | Philo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 2 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Mark Friedlander](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812095304) | [Qendrim Beka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846214375) |

## What reviewers say

### Reflect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-creative-sparks/id6745411935)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Philo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philo-a-thinking-journal/id6753999155)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Philo Scholar Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Philo Scholar Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reflect free?

Reflect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Philo free?

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

### Do Reflect or Philo have ads?

Neither Reflect nor Philo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reflect or Philo?

Reflect ships an update every 6 months, and Philo weekly. Most recently, Reflect was updated on October 7, 2026 and Philo on October 9, 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.*