# Ripples vs ShadowWrite

Ripples and ShadowWrite are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Ripples sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ShadowWrite sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ripples | ShadowWrite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripples-micro-journal-and-diary/id6749874833/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Davenport](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526004845) | [杰 向](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860305678) |

## What reviewers say

### Ripples

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripples-micro-journal-and-diary/id6749874833)

This private journaling app allows you to capture daily moments and send sealed letters to your future self. It offers thoughtful prompts for reflection and provides insights into your personal growth and thought patterns over time.

**Highlights:** Letters to your future self, Daily reflection prompts, Timeline with filtering, Insights into patterns and growth, Privacy-focused with local storage, Optional iCloud backup, Export to JSON

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rppl+ (One-Time) | $19.99 | one-time |


### ShadowWrite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowwrite/id6762345093)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium — Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ripples free?

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

### Is ShadowWrite free?

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

### Do Ripples or ShadowWrite have ads?

Neither Ripples nor ShadowWrite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ripples or ShadowWrite?

Ripples ships an update every 3 weeks, and ShadowWrite every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ripples was updated on October 10, 2026 and ShadowWrite on October 7, 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.*