# Conviction vs Zen

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zen at none against Conviction's 1. Zen also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and device support (6 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Conviction sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Zen asks for nothing beyond the download.

Conviction ships an update weekly, Zen every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Conviction | Zen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/conviction-thought-record/id6758258550/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 330 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phillip Paul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871795767) | [Francis Dierick](https://appshunter.io/developer/332084019) |

## What reviewers say

### Conviction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/conviction-thought-record/id6758258550)

This app provides a private, encrypted journal for processing difficult emotions and identifying patterns. It offers guided prompts, mood analytics, and self-guided tools to help users navigate overwhelming feelings and gain insight into their emotional cycles.

**Highlights:** Encrypted private journal, Voice transcription for entries, Guided shadow work prompts, Emotional pattern analytics, CBT thought reframe tool, Somatic grounding exercises, Trigger mapping and analysis

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conviction Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


### Zen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-meditation-timer/id6780166288)

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Conviction free?

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

### Is Zen free?

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

### Do Conviction or Zen have ads?

Neither Conviction nor Zen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Conviction or Zen?

Conviction ships an update weekly, and Zen every 2 days. Most recently, Conviction was updated on November 5, 2026 and Zen on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*