Comparison

Drift vs Stimly

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

Head to head
About

Drift

A minimalist journaling app focused on simple writing, drawing, and photo entries. Entries gradually fade over time, encouraging users to let go. It features optional shared prompts for community interaction without personal profiles.

Highlights
  • Simple text, drawing, and photo entries
  • Entries fade over time
  • Touch to restore entries
  • Shared prompts for community thoughts
  • Private by default, journal stays on device
  • No streaks, reminders, or mood tracking
Features
Read full description

Drift is the most minimal journal app. It doesn't ask you to build anything. Simple journaling. · Write up to 120 characters. Add a drawing. Attach a photo. That's it. · No streaks, no reminders, no mood tracking, no AI, no ads. Just write and let go. Entries fade over time. · Text softens. Drawings lose their edges. Photos grow faint. · Touch and hold any entry to bring it back. · Nothing is deleted without your permission. Private by default. · Your journal stays on your device. We never see it. Drift is for people who want less. Featured on Product Hunt — #5 Product of the Day Tell us what you think hi@letitdrift.com EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Stimly

Features
Read full description

Coffee works differently for everyone — and costs everyone different sleep. Stimly estimates when your caffeine has dropped far enough to stop getting in your way at bedtime. Most caffeine apps just count milligrams. Stimly models how caffeine actually moves through your body — using a science-backed metabolism engine calibrated to your age, weight, sensitivity and habits. YOUR DAY AT A GLANCE • Live caffeine level — a real-time curve of what's active in your system now • Drinking now — log slow sips (yerba mate, big lattes) and watch absorption live • Sleep forecast — see when your body will be ready for quality sleep • Smart advice — gentle nudges when one more espresso would cost you tonight TRACK WITHOUT FRICTION • One-tap logging from your personal drinks library • Barcode scanner for bottled drinks • Daily limit with a clear budget bar (including a lower preset during pregnancy) • Symptom journal — connect how you feel to what you drank • 7-day history of everything you've logged STIMLY PRO — OPTIONAL PAID UPGRADE Everything above is free. These extras require Stimly Pro: • Tolerance tracking — see habituation build and fade week to week • Expert mode — brew method and dry mass for precision logging • Extended history — month and 90-day views • 30-day wellness export — a clean PDF of your patterns SUBSCRIPTION OR ONE-TIME PURCHASE You can get Stimly Pro in two ways: • A monthly subscription that renews automatically. • Open-ended access: one payment, no renewals, no free trial. It lasts as long as we run the Stimly service. If we end the service within 36 months of your purchase, we refund at least a proportional part of the price. See the Terms for details. Your local price is shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period — manage or cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. Buying open-ended access does not cancel an active subscription. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your data stays yours. No ads, no tracking across apps, no data selling. Stimly is a wellness tool for healthy adults. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice — for health concerns, talk to your doctor. Terms: https://stimly.app/terms · Privacy: https://stimly.app/privacy

Screenshots

Drift4 screens
Stimly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Stimly at every 11 days against Drift's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Drift sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year and Stimly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drift ships an update every 6 weeks, Stimly every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Drift versus Stimly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDriftStimly
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNORILAB Inc.Zen Media Mateusz Stys

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Drift

Subscriptions1
  • Drift Premium7 Days trial$14.991 Year
3 purchases

Stimly

Subscriptions2
  • Stimly Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Stimly Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Stimly Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Drift free?
Drift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stimly free?
Stimly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Drift or Stimly have ads?
Neither Drift nor Stimly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drift or Stimly?
Drift ships an update every 6 weeks, and Stimly every 11 days. Most recently, Drift was updated on October 31, 2026 and Stimly on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons