# Drift vs Stimly

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drift | Stimly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drift-the-minimal-journal/id6760745618/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NORILAB Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476669544) | [Zen Media Mateusz Stys](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772148668) |

## What reviewers say

### Drift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drift-the-minimal-journal/id6760745618)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drift Premium | $14.99 | per year |


### Stimly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stimly-caffeine-tracker/id6772148666)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stimly Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Stimly Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Stimly Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*