Comparison

Imago 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

Imago

This app uses AI to guide you through shadow work, helping you understand and connect with different parts of yourself. It offers daily prompts, mood check-ins, and a journal that remembers your past sessions to reveal patterns. Designed for personal growth and self-discovery.

Highlights
  • AI-facilitated guided shadow work sessions
  • Name, map, and understand inner parts
  • Daily mood check-ins and prompts
  • Journal that remembers and identifies patterns
  • Private and encrypted entries
  • Built on Internal Family Systems (IFS) principles
Features
Read full description

Bring one moment that is still on your mind. Imago is a guided shadow work journal: an AI facilitator asks follow-up questions, helps you understand your reaction, and remembers the thread so the next session can continue it. Those inner voices, the one bracing for the worst, the one still carrying stuff from childhood, the harsh critic that won't quiet down? Internal Family Systems (IFS) calls those parts. Imago helps you name them, understand them, and actually talk to them. GUIDED SHADOW WORK SESSIONS An AI facilitator asks follow-up questions as you journal. It remembers what you've shared before and picks up threads you might have dropped. It can offer a name for a part you can confirm or change. It does not decide what your experience means. It just helps you stay with whatever comes up longer than you normally would. NAME AND MAP YOUR PARTS Give your parts names, colors, descriptions. The protector that tightens your chest before meetings. The exile that shows up as a hollow feeling when you're alone. The firefighter that reaches for your phone when things get heavy. Over time you build a map of your inner system that you'll actually recognize. DAILY CHECK-INS AND PROMPTS A mood check-in and a shadow work prompt each day. Helps you notice which parts are active before the day pulls you in. Build a streak if that keeps you going. A JOURNAL THAT REMEMBERS Sessions build on each other. The facilitator might notice your Protector shows up more on Mondays, or that your Inner Child has been quieter since a particular session. Those patterns are hard to catch on your own. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Entries are encrypted. Nothing is sold or shared. No social features. Just you and your parts. IMAGO PREMIUM Unlimited sessions, unlimited parts, full prompt library, and pattern insights. BUILT ON IFS IFS is an evidence-based therapy model listed on SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs. Imago takes its core ideas -- parts work, Self-energy, the protective system -- and puts them into a daily journal. Not a replacement for working with a therapist, but a good way to keep going between sessions or start exploring on your own. Imago is not therapy and is not a replacement for professional mental health care. If you are in crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Privacy policy: https://tryimago.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://tryimago.com/terms Support: https://tryimago.com/support

About

Shadow Work

This guided journal helps you explore your inner self through courageous prompts and mood tracking. It offers a structured path for self-reflection, focusing on confronting, integrating, and transforming personal challenges without external distractions.

Highlights
  • Guided shadow work prompts
  • Daily free prompt
  • Premium prompt library
  • Mood tracking
  • Private reflection archive
  • Progress insights
  • Daily reflection reminders
Features
Read full description

Meet the parts of yourself you have been avoiding. Shadow Work: Prompts & Journal is a private guided journal for deep self-reflection. Answer courageous prompts, track your emotional patterns, and build a record of your inner work—without noise, feeds, or judgment. WHO IT IS FOR • Anyone starting shadow work or inner child healing • Journalers who want structure, not a blank page • People working through triggers, projection, and self-sabotage • Readers of psychology and personal growth who want a daily practice THREE PHASES OF INNER WORK Phase I — Confrontation: Name what you avoid. Free prompts help you face rejection, perfectionism, anger, and your shadow self. Phase II — Integration: Trace wounds to their roots. Premium paths explore attachment, ego, trauma patterns, and defense mechanisms. Phase III — Transformation: Embody what you uncover and turn insight into lasting change. KEY FEATURES • Guided shadow work journal prompts — thoughtful questions, not generic quotes • Daily free prompt plus a full premium library • Mood tracking with your emotional journey over time • Private reflection archive on your device • Progress and intensity insights as you write consistently • Daily reflection reminders (optional) • Clean, focused writing experience—dark mode friendly SHADOW WORK PRO Unlock all three phases, premium prompts, mood history, full archive access, and deeper pattern insights. Subscriptions are managed in App Store settings. WHY THIS APP Most journaling apps give you an empty screen. Shadow Work: Prompts & Journal gives you a path: confront what you hide, integrate what you learn, and grow with prompts built for real psychological depth. — Disclaimer: Shadow Work: Prompts & Journal supports self-reflection and journaling. It is not therapy, medical advice, or a crisis service. If you are in distress, contact a qualified professional or local emergency services. Privacy Policy: https://www.weblak.net/apps/shadow-work/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Imago4 screens
Shadow Work4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Imago at weekly against Shadow Work's every 6 months. Imago also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1). Shadow Work's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Imago sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Imago against 5.0 for Shadow Work. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Imago has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Imago ships an update weekly, Shadow Work every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Imago versus Shadow Work: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterImagoShadow Work
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (11 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLaBounty Labs, LLCSouhayb Kamal Dine

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Imago

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium$14.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
2 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Shadow Pro — Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Shadow Pro — Yearly$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Imago free?
Imago 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, Imago or Shadow Work?
Imago and Shadow Work are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 11 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Imago or Shadow Work have ads?
Neither Imago nor Shadow Work shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Imago or Shadow Work?
Imago ships an update weekly, and Shadow Work every 6 months. Most recently, Imago was updated on November 5, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 31, 2026.

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