Comparison

Loop Mind vs Aurora by ARTST

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

Head to head
About

Loop Mind

This app helps you understand and break free from unproductive thought patterns. It listens to your thoughts, identifies specific cognitive loops, and provides structured reflections to reveal the underlying reasons for your overthinking. Track your thought architecture over time to gain clarity and insight.

Highlights
  • Voice-first journaling
  • Identifies 6 cognitive loop patterns
  • Separates facts from assumptions
  • Tracks thought patterns over time
  • Reveals protective functions of loops
  • Encrypted and secure data storage
Features
Read full description

Get it out. See how you think. Your thoughts are going in circles. Say them or type them, and Loop Mind reads them back. Get it out of your head, and see what's driving it. Every entry gets a Reflection: one line that names the thing you didn't quite say. Say you keep replaying a party, sure you talked too much, though your friend texted "so good to see you." Your Reflection might read: "The only review of that night from outside your head is the one you aren't counting." Mood trackers show how you feel. Loop Mind shows the thinking behind it. An observer, not a cheerleader. WHAT PEOPLE SAY "Definitely making me more aware of random thought loops." Charlie "I didn't realise I was thinking in loops, this is especially insightful." James, Clarity member "A bit like a pocket recorder for my thoughts." Callum, Clarity member GET IT OUT • Talk or type whatever is on your mind. No blank page, no templates, no streaks. • Not sure where to start? Every day, Today offers a fresh prompt drawn from your own entries. Tap it and just answer. • Answer out loud, and tap Listen to hear each question read to you. SEE WHAT'S UNDER IT • Your Reflection: the line, how you felt, and the loop you were in. • What you actually know, and what your mind is adding. • A question to take it further after each entry, or Go Deeper for a short conversation that replies to what you share and follows your own thread. WATCH THE SHAPE OF YOUR THINKING Check in for a few weeks and Loop Mind starts to show you how your mind works. • Your thinking shape: which loops your mind runs most this month, against your usual. • Your Mind Profile: a name for the way you think, and what makes you you. • How it's progressing: what has eased since last month, and what still circles. • The threads you keep coming back to, and how each one felt. • The people on your mind, and how your days felt across the month. With time, you may start to recognize a loop while you're still in it. SEVEN LOOPS, EACH WITH TWO SIDES Inner critic. What-ifs. Replaying the past. Relationships. Decisions. Body and health. Big questions. Each can circle or move: worry or planning, rumination or reflection. Loop Mind shows you which side you're on. The loops come from research on repetitive thinking, including Borkovec on worry, Nolen-Hoeksema on rumination and Gilbert on self-criticism. FREE TO START Free, every day: a few entries by voice or text, a Reflection on each with your feelings and loops, a question after each entry, a daily prompt to get you started, one Go Deeper conversation, your thinking shape, the name of your Mind Profile, and your month at a glance in Patterns. WITH A CLARITY SUBSCRIPTION, YOU ALSO GET • How it's progressing, month to month • Your full Mind Profile: what makes you you • Your month, read back to you • Your loop mix: each loop's two sides, and which way you lean over the months • Every deep dive: your feelings day by day, the threads you keep coming back to, each person on your mind • The pattern behind each entry • Questions made for you, with a new theme every week • Go Deeper on every entry • Check in as often as you need, with longer voice entries WHO IT'S FOR Adults who've overthought for years, including people with ADHD or autism. For brains that don't switch off. PRIVACY Your entries are private to your account. The AI providers that read them keep nothing and never use your entries to train AI. No ads, and your entries are never sold. Export or delete everything from your profile. For the thoughts that won't let go. Start with one entry. Loop Mind is a journal, not a substitute for clinical care. Terms of Use: https://loopmind.care/terms Apple's standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://loopmind.care/privacy

About

Aurora by ARTST

This app offers daily guided creative prompts for drawing, writing, photography, and movement to help manage stress, burnout, and anxiety. It provides tools for creative expression and mood tracking, with an optional premium subscription for advanced features and an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Daily guided creative prompts
  • Drawing, writing, photography, movement activities
  • Mood tracking before and after sessions
  • Personal gallery of creations
  • Streak tracking and achievements
  • AI-powered narrative insights (Premium)
Features
Read full description

You used to make things. Draw. Write. Create. Then life got loud, work got heavy, and that part of you went quiet. Aurora is a daily creative wellness practice inspired by art therapy — for people experiencing burnout, stress, or anxiety, and for anyone who wants to reconnect with their creative self. A new guided prompt every day across drawing, writing, photography, and movement. No art experience needed. No blank canvas anxiety. Just you, a prompt, and a little space to breathe. HOW IT WORKS Choose your emotional focus: stress, burnout, anxiety, or creativity. Aurora gives you a daily creative prompt with everything you need: the materials, the steps, and a reflection question to close the session. Log your mood before and after. Do it in two minutes or fifteen, whatever you have. WHAT YOU GET — A new creative prompt every day across five creative mediums — In-app drawing canvas with a curated color palette — Photo upload and written response options — Mood tracking before and after every session — A personal gallery of everything you've made — Streak tracking and achievements to keep your practice going AURORA PREMIUM — Unlimited daily prompts across all emotional categories — AI-powered narrative insights that summarize your creative journey — 90-day mood trends, practice calendar, and reflections journal — Ad-free experience — Free to start. Premium from $4.99/month or $49.99/year. YOUR GALLERY IS YOURS ALONE Everything you make in Aurora lives in your private personal archive. Aurora never shares your artwork, your reflections, or your mood data. Private by design. NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE Aurora is a creative wellness tool inspired by art therapy. It is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis please contact a qualified professional or call or text 988. Built by ARTST STUDIO LLC — a creative studio that believes art is everywhere someone is making something with intention. Aurora by ARTST*. Terms of Use: https://withaurora.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://withaurora.app/privacy

Screenshots

Loop Mind4 screens
Aurora by ARTST4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Loop Mind at none against Aurora by ARTST's shown. Loop Mind also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). Aurora by ARTST's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Loop Mind sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Aurora by ARTST sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Loop Mind against 5.0 for Aurora by ARTST. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loop Mind ships an update every 8 days, Aurora by ARTST monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Loop Mind versus Aurora by ARTST: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoop MindAurora by ARTST
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB29 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAdrien BarbusseARTST STUDIO LLC

Customer experience

Loop Mind

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Aurora by ARTST

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Loop Mind

Subscriptions2
  • Loop Mind Clarity - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Loop Mind Clarity - Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Aurora by ARTST

Subscriptions2
  • Aurora Premium$4.991 Month
  • Aurora Premium Annual$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Aurora Founding Member$99.99

Questions

Is Loop Mind free?
Loop Mind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aurora by ARTST free?
Aurora by ARTST is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Loop Mind or Aurora by ARTST?
Loop Mind and Aurora by ARTST are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Loop Mind or Aurora by ARTST have ads?
Aurora by ARTST shows ads; Loop Mind does not.
Which is updated more often, Loop Mind or Aurora by ARTST?
Loop Mind ships an update every 8 days, and Aurora by ARTST monthly. Most recently, Loop Mind was updated on October 28, 2026 and Aurora by ARTST on October 24, 2026.

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