Comparison

Shadow Work vs Bloom

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

Head to head
About

Shadow Work

Explore your inner self through guided journaling, AI-powered conversations, and dream interpretation. Uncover personal patterns and heal old wounds with daily psychological stories and interactive choices.

Highlights
  • Daily psychological stories
  • AI-guided self-reflection
  • Dream journaling and interpretation
  • Interactive story choices
  • Collectible tarot cards
  • Shadow work prompts
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

About

Bloom

Cultivate a personal pixel garden by reflecting daily. Each entry grows a new flower, with no pressure or streaks to maintain. Organize your reflections by mood and discover unique flower varieties.

Highlights
  • Daily pixel journaling
  • Grow a virtual flower garden
  • Sort entries by mood
  • Collect flower varieties
  • Optional daily reminders
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

Bloom is a quiet, slightly silly journal — a personal pixel garden that grows one flower each day you reflect. No streaks to break. No pressure. Just a small, kind nudge to come back to yourself. - Write a short entry each day — a sentence is enough - Watch your garden grow with a new flower for every memory - Sort your garden by mood to see your year at a glance - Collect every flower variety in your Guidebook (Pokédex-style) - Optional 7 PM reminder so you don't forget Privacy Policy: https://wisdominurmovement.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shadow Work4 screens
Bloom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bloom at none against Shadow Work's 3. Bloom also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Shadow Work's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Bloom asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bloom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shadow Work has 73 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadow Work ships an update every 9 days, Bloom every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Shadow Work versus Bloom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow WorkBloom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (73 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings73 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size177 MB22 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperOleg AzbukinKinshuk Sahni

Customer experience

Shadow Work

All ratings73 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Bloom

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Premium$14.99
None

Bloom

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bloom free?
Bloom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadow Work or Bloom?
Bloom is rated higher. Shadow Work averages 4.8 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Bloom averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Shadow Work or Bloom have ads?
Bloom shows ads; Shadow Work does not.
Which is updated more often, Shadow Work or Bloom?
Shadow Work ships an update every 9 days, and Bloom every 2 months. Most recently, Shadow Work was updated on October 24, 2026 and Bloom on October 6, 2026.

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