# Imago vs Penumbra

The clearest difference is update cadence: Imago at weekly against Penumbra's every 3 weeks. Penumbra's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Imago sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Penumbra sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Imago ships an update weekly, Penumbra every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Imago | Penumbra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imago-shadow-work-journal/id6759843333/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 69 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LaBounty Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708657944) | [Bogdan Tsiganiuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791122314) |

## What reviewers say

### Imago

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imago-shadow-work-journal/id6759843333)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $99.99 | per year |


### Penumbra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penumbra-shadow-work-journal/id6794122060)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penumbra Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Penumbra Pro Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Imago free?

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

### Is Penumbra free?

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

### Do Imago or Penumbra have ads?

Neither Imago nor Penumbra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Imago or Penumbra?

Imago ships an update weekly, and Penumbra every 3 weeks. Most recently, Imago was updated on November 5, 2026 and Penumbra on October 31, 2026.

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