Comparison

Self vs Marcus

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

Head to head
About

Self

Features
Read full description

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 — 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 — 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 — and make the decision the better you would make. Growth Journal Every identity shift is recorded. Looking back, you'll realize — 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 — 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 · Just ¥6 to unlock the full version The price of a convenience store drink, for a better you. ---

About

Marcus

This app offers a structured daily practice rooted in Stoic philosophy to foster self-improvement and living well. It includes morning and evening journaling, daily readings, and emotion logging, all designed to encourage honest self-examination and virtue.

Highlights
  • Morning journaling with Stoic prompts
  • Daily Stoic quotes with reflections
  • Evening self-examination journal
  • Emotion logging and Stoic reframing
  • Weekly review of virtues practiced
  • No account required, data stays on device
Features
Read full description

Most self-improvement apps make you feel good about yourself. Marcus asks whether you are. That's the difference. Marcus is a daily Stoic practice app built on the same system Marcus Aurelius used to govern the Roman Empire, and that Epictetus used to find freedom as a slave. Not a habit tracker. Not a meditation timer. A structured daily practice rooted in two thousand years of the most tested philosophy for living well. THE PRACTICE HAS FOUR PARTS. Morning journal. Five Stoic prompts including premeditatio malorum, the ancient negative visualization technique that modern psychology echoes as a way to reduce anxiety and sharpen decision-making. Begin each day with intention instead of noise. Daily reading. A passage each morning from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, or Seneca, chosen against what you have said you are working on, with a practical reflection. It never gives you the same passage twice. Every quote is checked against its source: we audited our own library and removed fifty-five that were not what they claimed to be. Evening journal. The nightly self-examination Seneca practiced: examine where you acted with virtue, confess where you fell short, release what you're carrying before sleep. The gap between who you are and who you admire only closes when you look at it honestly. Emotion logger. Between stimulus and response, there is a space. This is that space. Log what moved you, identify the cognitive distortion, read the Stoic reframe. The same discipline the Stoics practiced, two thousand years before cognitive behavioral therapy gave it a name. THE STOIC COMPASS. At the center of the practice is your compass, in four parts. Why you practice. What pattern in yourself you will overcome. Who you are becoming. And your roles: the relational positions you actually occupy, parent, partner, colleague, citizen, and what each one asks of you. The Stoics called these your kathekonta. Marcus Aurelius reminded himself of his every morning. Your compass is what the daily reading is matched against, so the practice gets more specific to you the longer you keep it. BUILT DIFFERENTLY. Marcus doesn't punish you for missing a day. Your longest streak remains. Your total days practiced remain. The current streak resets, and then you begin again. That's the Stoic response to failure. Not shame. Not starting over on Monday. The return. No account required. Your journal, reflections, and logs never leave your device. The only thing collected is anonymous, aggregate usage to improve the app, never tied to you. WEEKLY REVIEW. Once a week, examine the whole. In the ledger you name the Virtue you most embodied and the one you fell short on. Week after week, the record accumulates into an honest picture of who you're becoming, not who you imagine yourself to be. THE FOUR VIRTUES. Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, Justice. The frame the whole practice hangs on. Not goals. Not habits. Ways of being you either embody in a given moment, or you don't. MEMENTO MORI. "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do." — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Marcus Premium is an auto-renewable subscription with monthly and annual options and a 7-day free trial. Prices are shown in the app and on this product page in your local currency. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.getmarcus.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Self4 screens
Marcus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Marcus 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 · 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. Self sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Marcus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Self versus Marcus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSelfMarcus
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer阳 孙Harvana

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Self

One-time1
  • Self-Love-Project Pro$0.99
2 purchases

Marcus

Subscriptions2
  • Marcus Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Marcus Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Marcus free?
Marcus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Self or Marcus have ads?
Neither Self nor Marcus shows ads.

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