Self vs Thrive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Self
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Have you ever had one of those moments? You know you should work out, but you're glued to the couch scrolling your phone. You want to sleep early, but it's 2 AM and you're still wide awake. You want to say no, but somehow you say "sure" again. And then the voice kicks in: "What's wrong with me?" Here's the truth: You can never become a better person by hating who you are. --- Self-Love Project is not another habit tracker. It's not another motivational quote app. It's an identity shift tool ā when you're stuck, it helps you see the situation through the eyes of your ideal self, and make a different choice. How does it work? Imagine the person you most want to become. She's decisive, disciplined, gentle yet strong. When you don't know what to do ā you just ask one question: "What would she do?" The answer usually appears in that very moment. --- Core Features: Identity Shift Ritual When you're "stuck," tap the button. Write down your struggle. After a guided breathing exercise, you'll revisit the problem as your ideal self ā and make the decision the better you would make. Growth Journal Every identity shift is recorded. Looking back, you'll realize ā you've been growing all along. 21-Day Transformation Challenge Psychology research shows 21 days is enough to build a new habit. Do at least one identity shift per day or record one thing you did as your ideal self. 21 days. Watch yourself transform. Daily Affirmations A warm reminder every day: you deserve to be loved, especially by yourself. Personalized Aura Choose your aura color ā Confidence Red, Serenity Blue, Vitality Green, Warmth Orange, Wisdom Purple, or Creativity Pink. The entire app transforms with your choice. Bilingual Support Full Chinese and English support. Switch anytime. --- This is not a tool that teaches you "how to be better." This is a tool that helps you discover "you can already be great." You don't need to fix yourself. You just need to love yourself. --- Free 3-day trial Ā· Just Ā„6 to unlock the full version The price of a convenience store drink, for a better you. ---
Thrive
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The most important subject you'll ever study is yourself. Thrive is a private self-discovery practice designed to surface what you've been carrying without quite putting into words. Ten questions per session. One at a time. A personalized synthesis at the end. No advice, no fixes, and no one else listening. Just the kind of deep conversation you don't usually get to have, in a space quiet enough to answer them honestly. Most apps tell you what to do. Thrive asks you what you actually think. ā THREE TERRAINS ā ⢠Past ā Trace the patterns, bonds, and stories that shaped how you move through the world today. ⢠Present ā Sit with what's alive in you right now: thoughts, feelings, values, what you're resisting. ⢠Future ā Name who you're becoming, what you actually want, and what it will ask of you. ā 38 LENSES ON YOUR INTERIOR ā Thrive is organized into 38 distinct "modes" ā each a different lens for looking at yourself, rooted in a real psychological or philosophical tradition. Open the one that fits today; the others are waiting. PAST ā what shaped you ⢠Your Hidden Self (Jungian shadow work) ⢠Your Core Beliefs (schema therapy) ⢠Your Relational Self (attachment theory) ⢠Your Younger Self (IFS / inner child) ⢠Your Honored Losses (grief work) ⢠Your Forged Self (kintsugi / wabi-sabi) ⢠Your Family Patterns, Your Story, Your Resilience, and more. PRESENT ā what's alive in you now ⢠Your Emotional World (DBT / affect labeling) ⢠Your Thought Loops (CBT) ⢠Your Thought Distance (ACT defusion) ⢠Your Inner Parts (IFS) ⢠Your Kinder Voice (self-compassion) ⢠Your Values (Stoic philosophy) ⢠Your Observing Self (Advaita Vedanta) ⢠Your Natural Flow (Taoist wu wei) ⢠Your Flourishing (Aristotelian eudaimonia), and more. FUTURE ā what you're moving toward ⢠Your Real Why (motivational interviewing) ⢠Your Future Self (future-self research) ⢠Your Purpose (ikigai) ⢠Your Legacy (existential therapy) ⢠Your Worst Case (Stoic premeditatio) ⢠Your New Identity (identity-based change) ⢠Your Commitments, Your Energy, Your Circle, and more. ā PRIVATE BY DESIGN ā What you're willing to say changes completely when you know no one else is listening. Thrive is built around that fact. ⢠Conversations are never stored on our servers. ⢠Sessions clear from your device automatically. ⢠No sign-up required to begin ā anonymous account by default. ⢠Optional Face ID / fingerprint lock on the app itself. ⢠Voice input is processed by your phone's built-in speech recognition; we never receive the audio. Bring the version of yourself no one else gets to meet. That's the one worth getting to know. ā BUILT ON 2,500 YEARS OF KNOWING YOURSELF ā Thrive draws from the traditions that have actually helped humans live well ā Stoicism, Taoism, Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, Jungian depth psychology, IFS, CBT, ACT, DBT, schema therapy, narrative therapy, logotherapy, and more. The frameworks are real; the questions come from them. Thrive simply makes the practice easy to return to. ā FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DONE WITH SHALLOW ā Thrive is for you if you've outgrown affirmations and surface-level mood trackers. If you journal but want better questions. If you're between therapy sessions and want somewhere to take a thought. If you're curious about shadow work, parts work, Stoic reflection, or the examined life ā and want a structured place to actually do it. A single session is a conversation. A thousand sessions are a transformation. ā WHAT'S INCLUDED ā ⢠A free trial, then monthly or annual subscription. ⢠30 guided sessions every month, across all 38 modes. ⢠Goals that quietly carry forward between sessions. ⢠A reading library of short essays, beautifully typeset for slow attention. ⢠Optional gentle notification reminders. ā WHEN TO OPEN THRIVE ā ⢠When a thought won't leave you alone. ⢠When trying to get clarity on your life. ⢠On the days you'd usually scroll instead.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Thrive at 15.1 against Self's 17.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Self sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Thrive sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Self | Thrive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | ā | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.1 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | é³ å | Trends Technology LLC |
In-app purchases
Self
- Self-Love-Project Pro$0.99
Thrive
- Thrive Pro Monthly3 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Thrive Pro Annual3 Days trial$79.991 Year
- 10 Session Pack$4.99
- 25 Session Pack$9.99
- 50 Session Pack$17.99









