Comparison

Philo vs Brain Dump Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Philo

Features
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A little space to think. Philo connects what's on your mind with ideas from philosophy. Write about a feeling, a question, or a decision. Find a different perspective, reflect in your own words, and keep what matters. Start with a thought Write freely about whatever you're working through. Philo brings you relevant quotes with context and explanations connected to your reflection. Think it through Choose a starting point: understand a feeling, question an assumption, or find a next step. Philo asks one question at a time. Answer at your own pace and pause whenever you like. Keep your own takeaway Capture the sentence you want to remember. Write it yourself or edit a suggestion drawn from your answers. You decide what belongs in your journal. Pick up where you left off Keep related reflections together in topics you name and control. Return later, including the same day, and continue with your earlier thoughts in context. Revisit past entries through dated references, and pause or close a topic when you're ready. Try one small thing Turn a reflection into an optional experiment or work through a decision. Note what you want to try, what you expect, and when you'd like to check in. Reminders are your choice. Write beyond the daily reflection Compose gives you space for free-form journaling, creative writing, and longer thoughts. Bring saved quotes into your writing and add a photo to a daily entry. Return to meaningful ideas Save quotes to your personal library. Browse reflections through Chronicle's calendar and revisit what you wrote, what you questioned, and what you chose to keep. Keep wisdom close Add Philo's daily quote widget to your home screen. Create quote cards to share or save to your photos. A calmer place to write Warm parchment tones, thoughtful typography, and an article-inspired layout keep the focus on your words. Read a quote, write a sentence, or stay with a question a little longer. Every reflection can be complete on its own. Scholar membership Scholar includes five quotes per entry, three quote refreshes, deeper philosophical analysis, and extended context. Monthly: $2.99 Annual: $25.00 Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Support: support@getphiloapp.com Privacy: https://getphiloapp.com/privacy-policy Terms: https://getphiloapp.com/terms-of-service

About

Brain Dump Tracker

Quickly capture thoughts without any setup. Organize them later with simple sorting and powerful search. Your private thoughts stay on your device, with optional Pro features for deeper insights.

Highlights
  • One-tap thought capture
  • Automatic tag filtering
  • Quick triage and sorting
  • Full-text search
  • Swipe to complete/delete
  • Private, on-device storage
  • Export to JSON/CSV
Features
Read full description

Get it out of your head. Deal with it later. Brain Dump is a calm place for the thoughts that won't stop: the idea in the shower, the thing you can't forget to do, the worry that keeps looping. Type it and it's saved. No folders to choose, no setup, no account. CAPTURE WITHOUT FRICTION • One line at the top of the screen. Type, send, and the next thought can go straight in. • Add structure only when you want it: category, priority, #tags, a photo, a reminder. • A Home Screen widget takes you straight to a new thought. SORT IT WHEN YOU HAVE A MINUTE • Sorting mode shows one thought at a time. Tap a category and move on. A backlog clears in about a minute. • Swipe right to finish something, swipe left to delete it, and undo if you slipped. • Pin what matters to the top. FIND ANYTHING • Search as you type, with one-tap filters for category, priority and your most-used tags. • Tap any #tag to see everything related. • Your whole history stays searchable. Free, forever. SEE WHAT YOU KEEP COMING BACK TO (PRO) Most notes apps are a pile. Brain Dump reads the pile back to you: • Open loops: questions you never answered and urgent things going cold • Echoes: thoughts you've had more than once, worded differently • Your rhythm: when your head empties out • Themes, momentum and what's gone quiet • On this day: old thoughts, back when they're useful • Your week: a short read on what you captured and closed Pro also adds photos on thoughts, reminders for individual thoughts, and unlimited custom categories. GENTLE BY DESIGN • One optional daily reminder. No streak guilt, no nagging. • Six categories (Idea, Task, Note, Inspiration, Question, Random), all free, plus your own. • Light and dark mode. YOURS • Your thoughts are stored on your device. There is no account to create. • Export everything to JSON or CSV any time, and restore from a backup. Never behind a paywall. FREE AND PRO Capturing, searching, sorting, categories, tags, daily reminders, the widget and export are free. Brain Dump Pro adds the insights above, photos, reminders for individual thoughts and unlimited custom categories. Pro is available as a subscription or a one-time purchase; options and prices are shown in the app. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel them in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://egyad.github.io/braindumptracker/

Screenshots

Philo4 screens
Brain Dump Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Philo at weekly against Brain Dump Tracker's every 2 months. Brain Dump Tracker's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Philo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Brain Dump Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Philo ships an update weekly, Brain Dump Tracker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Philo versus Brain Dump Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhiloBrain Dump Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB45 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperQendrim BekaEgy Adhitama

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Philo

Subscriptions2
  • Philo Scholar Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Philo Scholar Yearly$24.991 Year
3 purchases

Brain Dump Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$49.99

Questions

Is Philo free?
Philo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Brain Dump Tracker free?
Brain Dump Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Philo or Brain Dump Tracker have ads?
Neither Philo nor Brain Dump Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Philo or Brain Dump Tracker?
Philo ships an update weekly, and Brain Dump Tracker every 2 months. Most recently, Philo was updated on October 9, 2026 and Brain Dump Tracker on October 21, 2026.

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