# Shadow Work Journal vs MARCUS

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

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

Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, MARCUS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Work Journal | MARCUS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (108 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-journal/id6746123700/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **108** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ERSAH ATMACA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708793991) | [Owen McLoughlin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871646245) |

## 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 |


### MARCUS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marcus/id6760873268)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 MARCUS free?

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

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

Neither Shadow Work Journal nor MARCUS shows ads.

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

Shadow Work Journal ships an update monthly, and MARCUS fortnightly. Most recently, Shadow Work Journal was updated on September 21, 2026 and MARCUS on September 16, 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.*