Comparison

Nexa Journal vs Shadow Work

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

Head to head
About

Nexa Journal

Features
Read full description

Nexa is a private emotional journal designed to help you track how you feel, return to it with clarity, and begin to notice patterns over time. Built to feel simple, calm, and useful from the very beginning, Nexa lets you record your emotional state in just a few seconds and, if you want, add a little more context or reflection. As the days go by, your history begins to take shape and small signals start to appear, helping you better understand your emotional experience. What you can do with Nexa: • Track how you feel quickly and clearly • Add intensity, context, and a short reflection • Revisit your emotional history • Start seeing patterns and insights over time • View your weekly emotional climate Privacy first: • No account • No ads • 100% offline • Your data stays on your device

About

Shadow Work

Features
Read full description

Shadow Forge is a structured shadow work journal built on Jungian psychology. Not a mood tracker. Not a gratitude log. A guided descent into the parts of yourself you've been ignoring, judging, or hiding from the world. HOW IT WORKS Shadow Forge divides your inner work into 3 stages and 25 sessions: Stage 1 - Shadow: 7 sessions Meet the parts you cast away. Explore your projections, your triggers, and the qualities you deny in yourself. Ends with your Shadow Archetype reveal - and the Exile it has been protecting. Stage 2 - Integration: 10 sessions Stop fighting what you found. Learn to own the shadow instead of being owned by it. Stage 3 - Self: 8 sessions The work becomes who you are. Live from a more complete version of yourself. WHAT EACH SESSION INCLUDES - A grounding ritual to prepare the container - 3 written prompts designed to surface what hides beneath the surface - A body check-in to locate emotion as sensation - Everything stored privately on your device THE FIRST STAGE IS FREE Complete all 7 sessions of Stage 1 at no cost. Unlock Stage 2 and Stage 3 with a monthly or annual subscription. YOUR JOURNAL. NO ONE READS IT BUT YOU. Every response is stored locally on your device. No account. No cloud. No server ever receives your entries. FEATURES - 25 structured sessions across 3 stages - Shadow Archetype reveal, plus an Exile card - the wound your Archetype has been protecting - Trigger & Glimmer tracker - log what drains you and what lifts you, see the pattern over 14 days - The Mirror - a 5-question reflection that reveals your relationship pattern, synthesized with your Shadow Archetype - Grounding breathwork before each session - Body awareness check-in - Private journal - device only, no cloud - Progress tracking across all sessions - Daily streak - Grounding exercise available anytime - 11 languages supported Privacy Policy: https://enginaytekin.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Nexa Journal4 screens
Shadow Work4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nexa Journal at none against Shadow Work's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Nexa Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 26, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Nexa Journal versus Shadow Work: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNexa JournalShadow Work
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB55 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperEduardo palominoEngin Aytekin

In-app purchases

None

Nexa Journal

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Annual$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Nexa Journal free?
Nexa Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nexa Journal or Shadow Work have ads?
Neither Nexa Journal nor Shadow Work shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nexa Journal or Shadow Work?
Nexa Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shadow Work every 3 weeks. Most recently, Nexa Journal was updated on June 26, 2026 and Shadow Work on September 10, 2026.

Other comparisons