# Thrive vs Shadow Work

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thrive at every 3 days against Shadow Work's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thrive sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Thrive ships an update every 3 days, Shadow Work fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thrive | Shadow Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-shadow-forge/id6772528068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 53 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Trends Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1782220172) | [Engin Aytekin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896277039) |

## What reviewers say

### Thrive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thrive-know-yourself/id6760326328)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thrive Pro Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Thrive Pro Annual | $79.99 | per year |
| 10 Session Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 25 Session Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 50 Session Pack | $17.99 | one-time |


### Shadow Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-work-shadow-forge/id6772528068)

This app offers a structured journaling experience based on Jungian psychology to explore hidden aspects of yourself. It guides you through stages of self-discovery, integration, and self-actualization with written prompts and body awareness exercises. All your entries are stored privately on your device.

**Highlights:** 25 structured sessions across 3 stages, Shadow Archetype and Exile reveal, Trigger & Glimmer tracker, The Mirror reflection tool, Grounding breathwork and body check-ins, Private, device-only journaling, Progress tracking and daily streaks

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thrive free?

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

### Is Shadow Work free?

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

### Do Thrive or Shadow Work have ads?

Neither Thrive nor Shadow Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thrive or Shadow Work?

Thrive ships an update every 3 days, and Shadow Work fortnightly. Most recently, Thrive was updated on October 6, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 13, 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.*