Comparison

Rescript vs Shadow Work Journal

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

Head to head
About

Rescript

Features
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Rescript is a private place to write letters to whoever you can’t reach β€” the person you’re trying to stop loving, someone you lost, the version of you who had a title, or the thought that won’t leave you alone at 2am. No one else will ever read them. WRITE THE LETTER Choose who it’s to, then start from the moment you’re in: the 2am thought, Day 1 of no contact, their Spotify, β€œShould I text?”, the message you’ll never send. Add a photo if you need to. Rescript leaves one gentle question in the margin β€” a P.S. that changes as you write β€” and then it stays quiet. It isn’t a chatbot. It won’t talk back. THEN DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO IT Every letter ends with a choice. β€’ Keep it on your desk to come back to. β€’ Release it, and watch it drift away. β€’ Burn it, and watch it turn to ash. Released and burned letters are permanently deleted. Not archived. Not searchable. Gone. COUNT THE DAYS YOU DIDN’T TEXT Set your no-contact date and your desk keeps count β€” Day 1, Day 7, Day 47 β€” beside every letter you wrote instead of sending one. WHEN A LETTER ISN’T ENOUGH β€’ Heal through writing β€” a structured, guided program, one session at a time. Your draft is saved if you need to stop. β€’ Be mindful β€” an open-ended daily page for the harder days. β€’ Guides β€” articles, videos and books for the parts nobody prepares you for. β€’ Export your letters as a PDF, sent to your email. FOR THE THINGS YOU CARRY ALONE The breakup you can’t stop thinking about. Grief that doesn’t keep a schedule. No contact, Day 1 or Day 147. The 2am thought. The thing you can’t say to anyone in your life. Rescript isn’t therapy and doesn’t replace care from a professional. If you’re in crisis, the Help tab lists crisis resources. Some features, including Burn it, the guided program and daily reflections, need a Rescript subscription. Terms of Use: https://rescriptjournal.com/terms-and-condition/ Privacy Policy: https://rescriptjournal.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shadow Work Journal

Features
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Meet the parts of yourself you've kept in the dark. Penumbra is a private, beautifully simple shadow work journal that helps you understand your triggers, heal old wounds, and come home to who you really are β€” one honest prompt at a time. Shadow work is the practice of exploring the hidden parts of yourself: the fears, patterns, and emotions you learned to push away. Bringing them into the light is how real, lasting change begins. Penumbra makes that work approachable, gentle, and yours alone. β€” GUIDED JOURNEYS β€” 19 themed paths with 200+ deep, therapist-style prompts: Meet Your Shadow, Inner Child, Self-Sabotage, Fear & Anxiety, Anger, Relationships, Self-Worth, Forgiveness, Boundaries, Grief, Shame, Mother & Father Wounds, Money Stories, Work & Purpose, Perfectionism, Jealousy, Attachment, Identity, and more. β€” GUIDED TOOLS β€” β€’ Guided Session β€” process a charged moment, step by step β€’ Core Belief Explorer β€” trace a limiting belief to its root β€’ Parts Work β€” meet a part of yourself with curiosity (IFS-inspired) β€’ Multi-day Courses β€” Meet Your Inner Critic, Reparenting, Self-Compassion β€” TRACK & SEE PATTERNS β€” β€’ Daily check-in: mood, energy and anxiety in 10 seconds β€’ Trigger tracker: capture what set you off and why β€’ Shadow archetypes: notice the Inner Critic, People-Pleaser and more β€’ Private insights, weekly review, emotional timeline & trends β€” all on-device, no AI β€” REFLECT YOUR WAY β€” β€’ A fresh daily prompt and a streak to keep you coming back β€’ Write or record a voice note; tag mood, emotions and archetypes β€’ Dream journal and daily grounding affirmations β€” YOURS ALONE β€” Everything stays on your device. Lock your journal behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. No accounts, no cloud, no one watching. β€” GENTLE & SAFE β€” Grounding exercises and crisis resources are one tap away. A soft, modern interface for dark and light mode, with a reminder you can set to any time. Meet your shadow. Reclaim your light. β€” PENUMBRA PRO β€” Unlock every guided journey and course, full insights, Face ID app lock, daily reminders, voice notes and export. Try Pro free for 3 days. β€’ Yearly subscription with a 3-day free trial β€’ Weekly subscription Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/allegrodigital/terms-of-use Penumbra is a self-reflection tool and is not a substitute for professional therapy or medical care. If you are in crisis, please reach out to a qualified professional or a local helpline.

Screenshots

Rescript4 screens
Shadow Work Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

Rescript and Shadow Work Journal are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Rescript sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Shadow Work Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Rescript versus Shadow Work Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRescriptShadow Work Journal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 β€” better16.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size157 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMangosteen Studio, LLCAllegro Digital

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Rescript

Subscriptions2
  • Premium subscription$9.991 Month
  • Premium subscription3 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Shadow Work Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Penumbra Pro$4.997 Days
  • Penumbra Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Rescript free?
Rescript is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadow Work Journal free?
Shadow Work Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Rescript or Shadow Work Journal have ads?
Neither Rescript nor Shadow Work Journal shows ads.

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