Comparison

Shadow Work Journal vs Shadow Work

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

Head to head
About

Shadow Work Journal

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
Read full description

Discover Yourself Through Shadow Work ShadowWork is a guided journaling app designed to help you explore your inner world, uncover hidden patterns, and gently integrate the parts of yourself you’ve kept in the dark. Whether you’re journaling for anxiety and depression help, looking for ADHD emotional support, or simply seeking more clarity and self-growth, this app offers a supportive and structured space for meaningful reflection. What You’ll Experience • Guided Journal Prompts Carefully crafted questions that support therapy, mood tracking, and emotional clarity, helping you work through stress, anxiety, and unconscious beliefs. • Chat with Your Shadow Self An AI-powered reflective dialogue that mirrors your inner voice—offering insight, not advice. • Mood & Emotion Tracking Log your feelings, spot trends, and build awareness over time—helpful for those managing depression, ADHD, or emotional ups and downs. • Learning Library Dive into articles and tools on shadow work, mental health, CBT, and DBT journaling for deeper self-understanding. • Symbol & Archetype Explorer Reflect on inner patterns through symbols, archetypes, and themed journaling exercises. • Weekly Reflections & Insights Receive personalized insights that bring together your journal entries, moods, and emotional patterns. • Secure & Private Your entries are stored on your device only. No account required—you control your data. With Shadow Work Journal you can journal for healing, self-discovery, emotional clarity, and mental wellness—all in one safe, private space. Privacy Policy: https://paytaktech.com/Apps/ShadowWork/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shadow Work

Explore your inner self through interactive stories and guided conversations. Uncover hidden strengths and recurring patterns by engaging with archetypal guides and reflecting on daily prompts. Integrate the parts of yourself you've pushed away to foster personal growth.

Highlights
  • Interactive daily stories with choices
  • Conversations with Jungian archetypal guides
  • Dream journaling and symbol exploration
  • Personalized insights archive
  • Journaling prompts and tarot cards
  • Spirit Animal personality test
Read full description

Shadow work often means facing a blank page and hard questions on your own. Bayun makes it easier. You step into short stories, make choices, and talk things through with guides who help you see what's beneath the surface. ◆ WHAT IS SHADOW WORK Carl Jung called the shadow the parts of ourselves we push away. It isn't only our dark side. It also holds strengths we learned to hide, like confidence, creativity, and authenticity. Pushed into the unconscious, these parts don't disappear. They show up as triggers, projections, and patterns that keep repeating. Jung warned that what we don't face within ourselves meets us outside as fate. Shadow work isn't about fixing yourself. It's about noticing the parts of you that have been hidden, and learning to integrate them. ◆ HOW BAYUN WORKS ▸ DAILY STORIES Each day, a new story puts you inside a moment that might feel familiar. At key points you choose what to do, and each choice reveals an insight and a question to reflect on. ▸ INNER GUIDES Talk by voice or text with four guides based on Jung's archetypes: the Persona about how you show up around others, the Shadow about your triggers, the Anima about your emotions, and the Self about your direction in life. ▸ DREAM JOURNAL Your dreams may be trying to tell you something. Jung saw them as messages from the unconscious. Record them and explore what their symbols might mean. ▸ YOUR ARCHIVE Over time, Bayun collects your insights, so you can see which triggers and patterns keep coming back. ◆ ALSO INSIDE - Shadow work prompts for journaling - Collectible tarot cards and archetypal symbols - Spirit Animal personality test - Tales for Midlife: classic stories retold for the middle years, with a new theme every month ◆ TRY IT FREE Your first three stories are free. If they speak to you, unlock the full journey. Terms of Use: https://catbayun.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://catbayun.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Shadow Work Journal4 screens
Shadow Work4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shadow Work at 4.8 against Shadow Work Journal's 4.5. Shadow Work also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Shadow Work Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. Shadow Work Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Shadow Work sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shadow Work holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 113 and 74 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Shadow Work Journal's written reviews are positive against 90% of Shadow Work's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, Shadow Work every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Shadow Work Journal versus Shadow Work: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow Work JournalShadow Work
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (113 ratings)4.8 (74 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113 — better74
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB194 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperERSAH ATMACAOleg Azbukin

Customer experience

Shadow Work Journal

All ratings108 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral3.7%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Shadow Work

All ratings74 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shadow Work Journal

Subscriptions3
  • Shadow Work Journal Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Shadow Work Annual Discounted$24.991 Year
  • Shadow Work Annual$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Premium$14.99

Questions

Is Shadow Work Journal free?
Shadow Work Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shadow Work Journal or Shadow Work?
Shadow Work is rated higher. Shadow Work Journal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 113 ratings, while Shadow Work averages 4.8 from 74 ratings.
Do Shadow Work Journal or Shadow Work have ads?
Neither Shadow Work Journal nor Shadow Work shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadow Work Journal or Shadow Work?
Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, and Shadow Work every 9 days. Most recently, Shadow Work Journal was updated on October 30, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 30, 2026.

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