Comparison

Burn Journal vs Elm

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

Head to head
About

Burn Journal

This app provides a private, offline space for therapeutic journaling. Express your thoughts freely and then watch them permanently disappear through a unique "burning" process, offering emotional release and closure.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing interface
  • Entries permanently "burn" away
  • 100% offline functionality
  • No cloud storage or data collection
  • Daily and monthly journaling modes
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Burn Journal: Your Safe Space to Release & Let Go Sometimes you need to write it out—without judgment, without keeping it forever. Burn Journal is a therapeutic journaling app designed to help you express your thoughts freely, then let them go completely. HOW IT WORKS • Write daily or monthly entries in a simple, distraction-free interface • Each entry is limited to help you focus on what truly matters • At the end of each week or month, watch your words scramble and "burn" away • 100% offline—your thoughts never leave your device WHY BURN JOURNAL? Release Without Attachment: Express difficult emotions knowing they won't be stored forever Completely Private: No cloud storage, no accounts, no data collection Therapeutic Ritual: The "burning" process provides closure and emotional release Daily & Monthly Modes: Choose weekly check-ins or deeper monthly reflections Dark Mode Support: Write comfortably any time of day PERFECT FOR • Processing difficult emotions • Daily gratitude or reflection practices • Working through temporary challenges • Anyone who wants to journal without the pressure of permanence YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS Burn Journal operates 100% offline. Your entries are stored locally on your device and are never uploaded to any server. When entries "burn," they're permanently deleted—no backups, no recovery, no trace. Write it. Release it. Burn it. Move forward.

About

Elm

Features
Read full description

Elm is a fast, distraction-free workspace for your notes, docs, and ideas. Write and organize everything in one place — nested pages, a real block editor, and search that actually finds what you're looking for. No bloat, no fifty menus, no forced AI. NOTES & DOCS Write with a clean block editor built for speed. • Headings, checklists, code blocks, images, and multi-column layouts • Slash commands to add anything without touching a mouse • Nest pages as deep as you need — build your own personal wiki STAY ORGANIZED • Star and pin your most-used pages • Recent pages, always one tap away • Fast, full-text search across your entire workspace SHARE WHEN YOU WANT TO • Share any page with a link — view or edit access • Collaborate without giving up your whole workspace YOUR DATA, YOUR CALL • Export everything, any time — Markdown or HTML • Delete your account and all your data whenever you want FREE TO START Unlimited pages and blocks on the free plan — no credit card required. An optional paid plan with more storage is available on our website. LIGHT OR DARK Looks right at home either way. Simple, fast, and yours.

Screenshots

Elm4 screens

Verdict

The call

Burn Journal and Elm are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Burn Journal versus Elm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBurn JournalElm
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB22 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAllwater Marine Group, LLCJoshua Arnold

In-app purchases

None

Burn Journal

No in-app purchases

None

Elm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Burn Journal free?
Burn Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elm free?
Elm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Burn Journal or Elm have ads?
Neither Burn Journal nor Elm shows ads.

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