# Shadow Work Journal vs zad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: zad at none against Shadow Work Journal's 3. zad also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.2). Shadow Work Journal's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shadow Work Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. zad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, zad every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Work Journal | zad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-journal/id6746123700/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **114** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ERSAH ATMACA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708793991) | [SELAMPAY - SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453328020) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Work Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-journal/id6746123700)

This guided journaling app helps you explore your inner world with AI-powered dialogues, mood tracking, and a learning library. It offers a private space for self-discovery, emotional clarity, and mental wellness through structured reflection.

**Highlights:** Guided journal prompts, AI-powered shadow self dialogue, Mood and emotion tracking, Learning library on mental health, Symbol and archetype exploration, Weekly reflections and insights, Secure and private on-device storage

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow Work Journal Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Shadow Work Annual Discounted | $24.99 | per year |
| Shadow Work Annual | $39.99 | per year |


### zad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zad/id6748308577)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow Work Journal free?

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

### Is zad free?

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

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

Neither Shadow Work Journal nor zad shows ads.

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

Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, and zad every 2 months. Most recently, Shadow Work Journal was updated on November 5, 2026 and zad on October 30, 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.*