Comparison

writhentic vs Balm

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

Head to head
About

writhentic

Read full description

With writhentic, you can reflect on situations and thoughts and record how you would like to act in similar moments in the future. These can be positive or negative experiences: Perhaps your personal boundaries were crossed, or you held yourself back and felt blocked in a situation. You can also record positive situations in which your thoughts, words, and actions were aligned and you acted authentically. ------------------- What you can expect: โ€ข Reflect on and record situations โ€ข Categorize your behavior: Blocked, authentic, or boundaries crossed โ€ข Develop new responses for similar future situations โ€ข Rate stress and authenticity โ€ข Manage all your entries securely and privately ------------------- Reflection creates clarity for future actions. Through regular self-reflection, you can recognize recurring patterns, become more intentional about how you want to act in the future, and develop a better sense of what feels authentic to you. ------------------- Free version: โ€ข Create up to 15 entries โ€ข Reflect on and record situations โ€ข View and edit entries โ€ข Manage places โ€ข View personal statistics ------------------- Premium: โ€ข Create unlimited entries โ€ข Discreetly hide entries (Blur) โ€ข Automatically save drafts โ€ข Use without limitations ------------------- You can switch between Premium and the free version at any time. Premium subscription options: โ€ข Annual subscription โ€ข Monthly subscription The subscription renews automatically unless canceled in the Apple App Store at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. This applies to both monthly and annual subscriptions. ------------------- Privacy Policy: https://writhentic.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://writhentic.app/terms

About

Balm

Features
Read full description

Name it. Watch it drop. Balm is a guided CBT thought record โ€” the classic five-step exercise from cognitive behavioral therapy. Take one hard moment, look at the thought behind it, answer it with something fairer, and watch the feeling lose its grip. HOW A RECORD WORKS 1. Situation โ€” what happened? Where, with whom? 2. Emotion โ€” name the feeling, rate it 0โ€“100. 3. Automatic thought โ€” catch what flashed through your mind, and how much you believed it. 4. Rational response โ€” challenge the thought with guided prompts: What's the evidence? What would you tell a friend? 5. Result โ€” re-rate the feeling and see the before โ†’ after drop. That drop is the whole method. "Anxiety 80% โ†’ 30%" โ€” measured, not imagined. GUIDED, NOT A BLANK PAGE Short prompts and tappable examples at every step, so you're never staring at an empty text box. Most records take about two minutes. Start now, finish later โ€” completing the record in two sittings is normal CBT practice, and the app gently reminds you about open records. QUICK CHECK-INS No energy for a full record? Name a feeling and rate it โ€” done in seconds. When you're ready, turn any check-in into a full thought record. SEE IT WORKING Insights show which emotions visit most often and whether negative thoughts are losing believability over time โ€” proof your skill is building. YOURS ALONE โ€ข No account, no cloud. Your entries never leave this device. โ€ข Lock the app with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. โ€ข Export records as a clean PDF for your therapist โ€” you decide what leaves the device. ONE PURCHASE, FOREVER Thought records and check-ins are free. Premium โ€” full Insights, therapist-ready PDF export, and app lock โ€” is a single one-time purchase. No subscription, no account, no ads. A METHOD WITH A TRACK RECORD Thought records are a core technique of CBT, used in clinical practice for decades. Balm is a self-help tool, not therapy or a medical device. If you're in crisis, the app points you to crisis resources. MADE FOR โ€ข Anxiety spikes and racing thoughts at night โ€ข Overthinking, rumination, low mood, anger flares โ€ข CBT therapy homework between sessions โ€ข Anyone learning to name what they feel PRIVACY & TERMS Privacy Policy: https://balm-9fc2f.web.app/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://balm-9fc2f.web.app/terms/

Screenshots

writhentic4 screens
Balm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: writhentic at every 5 days against Balm's monthly. Balm's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. writhentic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Balm sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

writhentic ships an update every 5 days, Balm monthly. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
writhentic versus Balm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterwrithenticBalm
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS26.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size5 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndreas SteinVLADISLAVS PETKUNS

In-app purchases

2 purchases

writhentic

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan โ€“ cancel anytime$4.991 Month
  • Premium โ€“ 1 Year writhentic7 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Balm

One-time2
  • Balm Premium Launch Offer$14.99
  • Balm Premium Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is writhentic free?
writhentic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Balm free?
Balm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do writhentic or Balm have ads?
Neither writhentic nor Balm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, writhentic or Balm?
writhentic ships an update every 5 days, and Balm monthly. Most recently, writhentic was updated on November 5, 2026 and Balm on November 5, 2026.

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