Comparison

Dear Affirmations vs Shadow Work Journal

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

Head to head
About

Dear Affirmations

This app offers daily positive affirmations and self-care tools to support your wellness journey. It features over 2,000 affirmations, mood tracking, a personal journal, and customizable reminders to encourage reflection and growth.

Highlights
  • 2,000+ affirmations in 19 categories
  • Daily affirmation matched to mood
  • Wellness trend tracking
  • Year in Pixels mood history
  • Personal journal with mood logging
  • Customizable affirmations
  • Daily reminders and streaks
Features
Read full description

Dear Affirmations is your daily companion for encouragement, reflection, and self-care. Whether you are on your own wellness journey or supporting someone you love, this app meets you where you are. What's inside: -2,000+ affirmations across 19 categories, from confidence and gratitude to grief and loss, relationships, family, and care provider support - A daily affirmation matched to your mood: Feeling Good, Feeling Okay, or Need Support - Your Wellness, a new section that tracks your 5-level wellness trend over time, surfaces personal patterns, and shows you who you are becoming, not just how you feel today - Year in Pixels, a full monthly view of your mood history so you can see your journey at a glance - A personal journal to write reflections, log your mood, and attach affirmations to your entries - Favorites so you can save the affirmations that speak to you and revisit them anytime - Create your own affirmations and save them in your own words - A home screen widget to carry today's affirmation with you everywhere - Read aloud so affirmations and journal entries can be spoken to you - Daily reminders with gentle nudges at the times that work for you - Streaks to celebrate your consistency, one day at a time - Built for everyone: Full Dynamic Type support, VoiceOver compatibility, Reduce Motion, and high contrast so everyone can use it comfortably. - Your privacy, always: Everything stays on your device and syncs privately via iCloud. No account. No ads. No tracking. Who it's for: Dear Affirmations is for anyone who needs a moment of encouragement. Whether you are on your own wellness journey, supporting someone you love, or showing up every day as a care provider, this app is for you. Dear Affirmations is a product of Care On the Way, LLC. www.careontheway.com

About

Shadow Work Journal

Features
Read full description

Your words never leave your device. Shadow Work Journal: Sanctuary is a privacy-first journal for shadow work — meeting the parts of yourself you keep in the dark, with honesty and care. No account. No cloud sync. No AI reading your entries. Everything stays on your iPhone. WHAT MAKES SANCTUARY DIFFERENT • Privacy-first — entries stored locally on your device only • Today's Box — one daily prompt from 12 shadow themes (56 guided prompts in Shadow Map) • Release & Burn — write, then watch your words dissolve in a symbolic ritual • Journey vault — secured entries, readable anytime (free to read) • Optional Face ID lock — free for all users • Ritual sound — optional burn and release audio (toggle in Settings) FREE & PREMIUM • Free: save up to 3 journal entries on your device (lifetime), one release per day • Premium: unlimited saved entries; up to 3 release rituals per day — still local, no AI NOT THERAPY Sanctuary is for personal reflection and general wellness. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. If you are in crisis, contact a qualified professional or emergency services. Your shadow work stays yours. Always on-device. SUBSCRIPTIONS (auto-renewable) • Sanctuary Premium Weekly — 1 week — $3.99 (3-day free trial) • Sanctuary Premium Annual — 1 year — $29.99 Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://zenandmindappsite.vercel.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://zenandmindappsite.vercel.app/terms.html

Screenshots

Dear Affirmations4 screens
Shadow Work Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dear Affirmations at none against Shadow Work Journal's 2. Shadow Work Journal's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support 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. Shadow Work Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Dear Affirmations asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Dear Affirmations versus Shadow Work Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDear AffirmationsShadow Work Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCare On the Way, LLClin zheng

In-app purchases

None

Dear Affirmations

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Shadow Work Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Sanctuary Premium Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Sanctuary Premium Annual$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Dear Affirmations free?
Dear Affirmations is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shadow Work Journal free?
Shadow Work Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dear Affirmations or Shadow Work Journal have ads?
Neither Dear Affirmations nor Shadow Work Journal shows ads.

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