ShadowWrite vs Archetype Decks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
ShadowWrite
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ShadowWrite is a private journal for noticing the patterns behind your reactions, relationships, boundaries, and self-talk. Choose a guided question or write freely, then record how you feel before and after the reflection. A calmer way to reflect - Follow a compact seven-day reflection path - Explore 100+ prompts across eight themes - Open any prompt straight in the journal - Track your mood before and after writing - Search, edit, favorite, export, or delete past entries - Keep entries on your device and protect the journal with the private lock Free includes 20 prompts and up to three entries each week. ShadowWrite Premium unlocks unlimited entries, every prompt category, history search, and export. ShadowWrite is a reflective journaling tool, not therapy, diagnosis, treatment, or crisis support. Privacy Policy: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/terms.html Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: https://frexx.top/shadowwrite/support.html
Archetype Decks
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Ask the Archetype is a depth psychology field guide. 78 figures from Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, James Hillman, Carol Pearson, and Clarissa Pinkola EstΓ©s, one a day, with citations. You draw one card a day. Just one. The deck rests until tomorrow. Each card holds a few things to sit with. A short oracle reading. A scholarly description of the figure, with the thinkers who wrote about it named. A few plain questions in everyday language. A few questions written the way the thinkers wrote them, with citations. A short reading list, if you want to follow a thread further. A note on cultural humility when a figure touches a living tradition. That is the whole app. You pull a card. You read what other people have wondered about it. You leave when you are ready. There are no streaks. No notifications. No badges. No accounts. No data collection. No ads. No subscriptions. The deck does not chase you. If you want to leave a tip, there is a small gratitude jar in Settings. Four tiers, named honestly. A candle for the desk. An afternoon in the stacks. And two for people who really want to send a thank you. 100% of net proceeds go to Nutcracker syndrome research, building toward a dedicated research grant with NORD, the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Nutcracker syndrome is a rare vascular condition most people have never heard of, which is part of why I chose it. Quarterly receipts at sillydroose.com/donations/askthearchetype. All 78 cards are available without paying anything. I built this because I love reading about archetypes, and I wanted somewhere quiet to spend a minute with one each morning. If that sounds like your kind of thing, welcome. Drew
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Verdict
ShadowWrite and Archetype Decks are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters β price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them β neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. ShadowWrite sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year and Archetype Decks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ShadowWrite | Archetype Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 202 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ζ° ε | Drew Douglass |
In-app purchases
ShadowWrite
- Premium β Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
Archetype Decks
- A candle for the desk$1.99
- An afternoon in the stacks$4.99
- A key to the collection$9.99
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- A new wing for the library$19.99
Questions
Is ShadowWrite free?
Is Archetype Decks free?
Do ShadowWrite or Archetype Decks have ads?
Which is updated more often, ShadowWrite or Archetype Decks?
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