Comparison

Umbra vs Shadow Work

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

Head to head
About

Umbra

This app offers guided journaling rooted in Jungian psychology for self-reflection and emotional integration. It helps users confront and understand their shadow self, manage ego and anger, and heal inner child wounds through structured prompts and pattern tracking. All data is stored locally for absolute privacy.

Highlights
  • Guided shadow work journaling
  • Ego and anger management tools
  • Inner child healing sessions
  • Emotional trigger tracking
  • Local data storage for privacy
  • Face ID/PIN journal lock
  • Emotional analytics
Features
Read full description

Umbra is a shadow work journal rooted in Jungian psychology, designed for honest self-reflection, emotional clarity, and personal transformation. This is not a gratitude journal. This is a guided tool for psychological integration, helping you confront the parts of yourself you tend to avoid. Built for deep inner work. All entries stay offline, on your device. No cloud. No accounts. No tracking. ▶ ABSOLUTE PRIVACY Your shadow stays with you. Umbra stores all data locally on your device with no external processing or data collection. Lock your journal with Face ID or PIN for complete peace of mind. ▶ UNDERSTAND THE SHADOW SELF ◀ [WHAT IS SHADOW WORK] Shadow work is a practice from the psychology of Carl Jung. It involves confronting unconscious patterns, repressed emotions, and hidden beliefs. Through guided journaling, you bring these shadows into awareness to begin the process of psychological integration. [HOW UMBRA WORKS] Choose an Intent: Select a specific emotion to explore, such as Anger, Shame, Ego, Fear, or Envy. Reflect on a Prompt: Each question is rooted in Jungian psychology and designed for honest self-examination. Track Your Patterns: Visualize which shadows surface most often and track your emotional evolution over time. ▶ MASTER YOUR EGO & ANGER ◀ [EGO MANAGEMENT] Identify the voice of your ego and dismantle limiting beliefs. Our specialized ego work prompts help you understand self-image patterns and move toward a more authentic version of yourself. [ANGER & TRIGGER TRACKING] Identify your emotional triggers before they take control. Umbra provides a structured anger management guide to help you process frustration and understand the root cause of your reactions. ▶ HEAL THE INNER CHILD ◀ [REPRESSED EMOTIONS] Resolve childhood trauma through targeted inner child healing sessions. Address unmet needs and break generational cycles with subconscious reprogramming exercises. [SHAME & ENVY REFLECTION] Work through the most difficult emotions. Use specific journaling paths for shame and envy prompts to transform these mired feelings into catalysts for self-discovery. ▶ ULTIMATE PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL ◀ [EMOTIONAL ANALYTICS] Visualize the distribution of your triggers. Umbra turns your private reflections into meaningful insights, showing you how your inner landscape shifts as you do the work. [ACCESSIBLE TO ALL] Full support for accessibility preferences including bold text, dynamic type, increased contrast, and voiceover support. Upgrade to Umbra Premium with monthly, yearly, or lifetime plans for unlimited journal entries, advanced emotional analytics, and the full library of Jungian prompts. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage plans and turn off auto-renewal in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Umbra is not a medical device and should not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Terms of service: https://umbra.byarcadia.app/terms/ Privacy policy: https://umbra.byarcadia.app/privacy/

About

Shadow Work

This app offers a structured journaling experience based on Jungian psychology to explore hidden aspects of yourself. It guides you through stages of self-discovery, integration, and self-actualization with written prompts and body awareness exercises. All your entries are stored privately on your device.

Highlights
  • 25 structured sessions across 3 stages
  • Shadow Archetype and Exile reveal
  • Trigger & Glimmer tracker
  • The Mirror reflection tool
  • Grounding breathwork and body check-ins
  • Private, device-only journaling
  • Progress tracking and daily streaks
Features
Read full description

Shadow Forge is a structured shadow work journal built on Jungian psychology. Not a mood tracker. Not a gratitude log. A guided descent into the parts of yourself you've been ignoring, judging, or hiding from the world. HOW IT WORKS Shadow Forge divides your inner work into 3 stages and 25 sessions: Stage 1 - Shadow: 7 sessions Meet the parts you cast away. Explore your projections, your triggers, and the qualities you deny in yourself. Ends with your Shadow Archetype reveal - and the Exile it has been protecting. Stage 2 - Integration: 10 sessions Stop fighting what you found. Learn to own the shadow instead of being owned by it. Stage 3 - Self: 8 sessions The work becomes who you are. Live from a more complete version of yourself. WHAT EACH SESSION INCLUDES - A grounding ritual to prepare the container - 3 written prompts designed to surface what hides beneath the surface - A body check-in to locate emotion as sensation - Everything stored privately on your device THE FIRST STAGE IS FREE Complete all 7 sessions of Stage 1 at no cost. Unlock Stage 2 and Stage 3 with a monthly or annual subscription. YOUR JOURNAL. NO ONE READS IT BUT YOU. Every response is stored locally on your device. No account. No cloud. No server ever receives your entries. FEATURES - 25 structured sessions across 3 stages - Shadow Archetype reveal, plus an Exile card - the wound your Archetype has been protecting - Trigger & Glimmer tracker - log what drains you and what lifts you, see the pattern over 14 days - The Mirror - a 5-question reflection that reveals your relationship pattern, synthesized with your Shadow Archetype - Grounding breathwork before each session - Body awareness check-in - Private journal - device only, no cloud - Progress tracking across all sessions - Daily streak - Grounding exercise available anytime - 11 languages supported Privacy Policy: https://enginaytekin.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Umbra4 screens
Shadow Work4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shadow Work at 5.0 against Umbra's 3.0. On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Umbra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shadow Work holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Umbra ships an update every 3 weeks, Shadow Work fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Umbra versus Shadow Work: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUmbraShadow Work
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB55 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperDominik WozniakEngin Aytekin

Customer experience

Umbra

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Shadow Work

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Umbra

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Rescue Pro Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
2 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Umbra free?
Umbra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Umbra or Shadow Work?
Shadow Work is rated higher. Umbra averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Shadow Work averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Umbra or Shadow Work have ads?
Neither Umbra nor Shadow Work shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Umbra or Shadow Work?
Umbra ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shadow Work fortnightly. Most recently, Umbra was updated on September 28, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 13, 2026.

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